EastEnders' Whitney's real life - called-off engagement and soap suspension

14 September 2023 , 17:00

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Shona played Whitney for 15 years (Image: REX/BBC)

Shona McGarty left fans devastated when she recently announced that she'd decided to leave EastEnders after 15 years as Whitney Dean, Bianca Jackson's adopted daughter.

The 31-year-old actress spoke about the difficult decision to quit the show with Inside Soap, saying: "It wasn't an easy decision because I've made so many friends. I've seen people come and go, and meanwhile, Whitney has become one of the longest-standing characters. I've had so much fun and done so many storylines, some of which have been sensitive, and I've been honoured to be trusted with such heavy stuff year after year. So I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to my friends and family, but it was the right decision for me as I want to do other things. After 15 years, I've had a pretty good run!"

Shona recently decided to leave EastEnders (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

The star previously dated her co-star Matt Lapinskas (PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Born and raised in London, Shona was involved in amateur theatre for several years before landing her role as Whitney in EastEnders. Her character has since dealt with dramatic storylines including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, killing Leo King, as well as dealing with baby loss.

But like with any job, the star has had her ups and downs on the show. In 2012, EastEnders bosses told Shona, who was 20 at the time, that she faced the sack if she did not become better at timekeeping. She was given a month unpaid suspension from the soap after repeatedly turning up to set late. She was also fined about £3,000 to cover the crew's overtime costs when scenes ran late. However, she seemed to learn her lesson and upon her return to work, she said she would be curbing her nights out.

And there were highs, as she has been able to find love on the set. Back in early 2011 she found love with co-star Matt Lapinskas, who played Anthony Moon on the soap until 2012. Matt previously said it was like 'love at first sight'. However, their relationship only lasted around 18 months, despite Matt saying he'd been thinking about marriage.

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Things reportedly went wrong between the pair when he joined the line-up of Dancing on Ice and he found himself growing close with his skating partner, Brianne. But things started to look up for Shona when she met electrician Ryan Harris. The pair hit it off and got engaged in 2018, with Ryan popping the question at a birthday party he'd organised for her.

However they called time on their relationship in 2020. Shona told the Daily Star at the time: "We just grew apart. Nothing bad happened, it was all very amicable. We were together for a long time, but it just wasn't meant to be." She went on to say of being single: "I think it's really important to have some time by yourself. As I've got older it's refreshing because I no longer care what people think of me anymore. I'm definitely older and wiser and EastEnders has been a great place to grow up. I've been so lucky to have so many wonderful people around me."

Following this, the actress had a relationship with another EastEnders co-star, Max Bowden who plays Ben Mitchell on the show. The duo went Instagram official in September 2022 after being spotted looking close in June on the red carpet at the Soap Awards, and again while holding hands on a romantic trip to a kebab van.

She was previously engaged to Ryan Harris (Twitter)

The actress also dated Max Bowden (INSTAGRAN)

They split after just six months, and Shona has since spoken to The Mirror about the end of their relationship, confirming they are still friends, despite calling their romance a 'risk'. Speaking at the British Soap Awards 2023, she said: "It's lovely to be here tonight because Max's mum's here and I haven't seen her for ages, I adore her. So it's lovely to catch up with her. We're actually better than ever. It's a friendship, we're in such a good place. You take a risk, and you do something and it doesn't work out, but that's life, you've got to take that risk."

Away from this, Shona also has a hidden talent for singing and she previously wowed fans when she performed at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance singing Hallelujah in November 2022. She shared a clip of her performance on Instagram, writing: "Such an honour. A truly humbling experience. We will remember them." He co-stars flooded the comments with supportive messages, with Lacey Turner saying: "Your talent is endless. I love you." Shona was also asked to sing at Jacqueline Jossa's 30th birthday party, performing a rendition of Amy Winehouse's song Valerie.

Courtney Pochin