Linda isn’t going anywhere! (Picture: BBC)
EastEnders has confirmed that Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright, is staying put in Albert Square after soulmate Mick’s tragic end, with show boss Chris Clenshaw revealing big plans for the landlady.
There has been speculation about Linda’s future after news of Mick star Danny Dyer’s exit broke, given that the landlord and landlady of the Vic largely depended on one another, creating one of the most iconic dynamics in soap history.
Mick vanished in the ocean on Christmas Day, after jumping in to save soulmate Linda, shortly after rescuing scheming Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) from a watery grave.
He didn’t return.
But despite Mick’s mysterious vanishing, Linda is not going anywhere, with show boss Chris confirming the good news. ‘I’m delighted that Kellie Bright is staying in Albert Square,’ he said, putting concerned fans’ minds at rest.
‘Over the years, Linda has cemented herself as a modern day matriarch and we have big plans ahead for her.’
‘Linda’s still very much at the heart of Albert Square.’
Who is Linda without Mick? We’re about to find out! (Picture: BBC / Kieron McCarron)
Linda and Mick have become one of soap’s most iconic couples (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Consider us VERY excited!
The Queen Vic landlady will embark on a new chapter of her life, one without soulmate Mick by her side, which will be incredibly alien to her, given she’s never really known a life without him in it.
‘Linda is not going to get over Mick very quickly,’ continued Chris. ‘She was just reunited with him then he was snatched away from her so it won’t be all smiles straight away.
Kellie echoed this sentiment, adding that Mick is still very much in Linda’s thoughts in scenes which she has recently filmed.
‘He is the love of her life,’ she added. ‘I’m only up to February but we’ve just filmed some Valentine’s Day stuff and there’s a little picture of Mick up behind the bar and I wish him a happy Valentine’s Day and blow him a kiss. He’s still very present for her in that way.’
Kellie Bright is staying put on the show (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Discussing the big plans to come, Chris confirmed that Linda would be at the centre of a new storyline – which is one that the show hasn’t ever done before.
‘Kellie is going to start shooting something in January that goes out in February and it’s something that we as a show haven’t done before,’ he teased. ‘Linda’s at the centre of that.’
Kellie, meanwhile, admitted that she is excited about what’s to come, though she admitted that she found it ‘so weird’ working on the show without Danny Dyer by her side.
Linda will take centre stage in a new storyline (Picture: BBC)
‘Linda is a tough cookie’, she concluded, discussing what’s ahead for her iconic character. ‘I’ve always said she’s Barbie with a core of iron, a core of steel. She’ll definitely find her way through this and also she’s a mother to Ollie and Annie and I think that will drive her forward.
‘I am quite excited about what is going to happen next. I know I’m part of something that’s going to be quite big and I’m excited about that.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One.
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MORE : What happened with Linda Carter and Keanu Taylor in EastEnders?
The landlady is not going anywhere – and will be at the centre of the show where she belongs.
