It’s believed that a low-key exit is what made it possible for Linda Henry to leave the show in secret.
The actress played Shirley Carter for 16 years but is no longer part of the show, after leaving in 2022.
Following the disappearance of her son Mick, Shirley, along with her dog Lady Di, left Albert Square behind, reports The Sun.
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In 2023, the newspaper says the then-show boss, Chris Clenshaw, said Linda’s exit was simply just a break from the show rather than a permanent arrangement.
He explained: “So, Linda Henry is currently taking a break from the show.
“But you know, when she walked off with Lady Di last year, in the wake of Mick’s disappearance, it won’t have been the last you see of her.
“I can say that for sure.”
Linda Henry believed to have ‘secretly’ quit EastEnders
Now, though, The Sun reveals that Shirley Carter will not return to the soap.
A source reportedly told the newspaper: “Linda quit EastEnders in 2022.
“The door was left open for a return for Shirley in the future because she was such a fan favourite but it was a final exit.
SOMEBODY GIVE LINDA HENRY AKA SHIRLEY CARTER ALL THE AWARDS! AMAZING ACTOR! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙌🏾💯🏆@bbceastenders #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/acTzlXQeqo
— Discreet (@discreet_artist) March 8, 2022
“Linda is very private and not one of the actors who wants to be a celebrity and didn’t want a big fuss so a low-key exit made sense at the time.”
Linda is set to appear alongside her EastEnders son Danny Dyer in Sky comedy Mr Bigstuff.
She will play a mechanic named Pam as she returns to TV after three years away.
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Creator of the show, Ryan Sampson, told Radio Times: “We’ve got Linda Henry, who was Shirley – Danny’s mum – in EastEnders, which is a lovely little Easter egg for the EastEnders crowd.
“That I’m really excited about. She is amazing.”
The news of Linda’s departure from EastEnders comes as fans of the show shared on Reddit that they hoped she would return to the soap.
This person asked: “Is Shirley ever coming back? I miss this lady”.
One fan described her as “one of the best characters of all time.”
Newsquest contacted EastEnders for comment, but the BBC refused to comment.
