Shirley then urges her to attend therapy for her alcoholism or face never seeing Ollie again. "[4] Bright played Kate Madikane (ne Aldridge) in Radio 4's The Archers, and was with the series from 1995 until 2004. Shirley's estranged son Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) comes to Walford, and although he continues to share a troubled relationship with his mother, he is welcomed by Mick and Linda into the family. Stacey asks if something happened between her and Dean and as Linda is about to explain, Dean arrives and Linda heads back home. Linda is inspired to make Christmas great as a result, and is overjoyed when Ollie takes his first steps. [4], Linda first appeared in an episode that aired on BBC One on 19 December 2013, visited partner Mick's sisters Shirley and Tina when they needed money. Ian however reveals the truth to Denise, who accuses Linda of attention seeking. Linda and Mick are both delighted with Johnny when he has averaged a first in his grades and Mick gives him money to treat himself but they aren't happy when Johnny shows them a moped he bought. Linda appears in animated form in a Children in Need sketch called Tom and Jerry: A Fundraising Adventure, broadcast during the 2014 telethon on 14 November 2014, along with Mick in The Queen Vic. Frank|Freddie Mercury|Freida|Genghis|Gilbert|Gloria|Gumbo|Heathcliff|Hercules|Joey|Joey|Lady Di|Lionel|Lovebirds|Mandoo|Marge|Marge (II)|Marilyn|Musty|Neville| Distraught over the upset that Mick's actions have brought her family, Linda leaves Walford to stay with Elaine in Watford. They are rescued by Stuart and Rainie who are on a life boat, and Linda regains consciousness. Linda is delighted by Johnny's (now played by Ted Reilly) return but saddened by Nancy's departure. Linda questions why he didn't call the police considering it was in self-defence. Linda later is busy making a variety of sandwiches and Mick tells Nancy that if they'll have a quiet family tea that night and then the following day, she can be landlady of The Vic and Nancy asks if she can do musical bingo. Stuart Highway (2018) Max Branning (2020-2021; affair) Mick Carter (2022) [11] Along with Dyer, Bright was nominated for "Best On-screen Partnership" at The British Soap Awards 2014 for the relationship between Mick and Linda. Contents 1 Backstory 2 Storylines 2.1 2013-2016: Rape ordeal, marrying Mick and giving birth to Ollie 2.2 2017 to present 3 Quotes Johnny finds a dog tag whilst grinding meat in the meat grinder and he and Shirley believe it is dog meat instead of lamb. Stacey notices an upset Linda and asks what's happened, Linda says nothings and thanks Stacey for listening and she's going to tell Mick and Dean notices Linda and Stacey talking. After the party, Linda and Mick have a heart to heart, and he asks her to marry him properly, but she declines, determined to keep up the pretence to their children that they are already married. In December 2013, Linda's sister in law, Tina Carter brings her sister Shirley Carter to a pub in Watford, which turns out to be Linda and Mick's. She tells him to leave Walford and Jack agrees. When Nancy lays the kitchen table, Linda says they will eat in the lounge and later, when Linda is in the kitchen on her own, she causes the table to collapse and she, Mick, Linda and Dexter eat in the lounge. Linda is adamant that Mick shouldn't know any of it and he doesn't deserve it and she can cope by eventually putting it behind her with no one else getting hurt. [35] Linda's pairing with Mick came in second place in the "Best Soap Couple" category at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards with 10.6% of the total votes.[36]. Linda then goes to Shirley and sympathises with her, saying it must have been hard, however, Shirley blames Linda for what happened and believes none of it would have happened if Linda had been straight with Mick. Linda is not voiced in the sketch. Linda says there is something and Elaine says she knew it the minute Mick rang and that she uses a migraine as a cover up and carries on and Linda says running the pub gets on top of her at times. Kellie Bright is better known for playing soap character Linda Carter on EastEnders since 2013, but away from Walford the talented actress enjoys an idyllic home life. Nancy and Lee have an argument, which causes Ollie (now Charlie Harrington) to fall off his highchair. As Janine attempts to escape to evade justice, Linda and Mick follow Janine to Dover. She is arrested after crashing into a parent's car during the school run and, failing a breathalyser test, faces a court summons, also a driving ban which she keeps secret from Mick, unfortunately she reverts to drinking alcohol, anxious about telling him. Mick then tears a shred off Linda and shames her for putting Ollie in danger, leading Linda to run off and stay at Max's, however Linda and Mick later make up. Shirley asks if Mick is out the back, but Linda tells her he's out and won't be back till that night at the earliest. [3] As a child actress, she appeared in several different series' on British television in the late 1980s and the 1990s, including T-Bag and Maid Marian and Her Merry Men. [8], In October 2013, Bright was cast as Linda Carter in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Annie Carter (2021), daughter of Linda and Max Branning, adopted by Mick Jade Green aka Roya Masood (2008), daughter of Dean Wick and Shabnam Masood Jimmy Wicks (2012), son of Carly Wicks When they return a few weeks later, they find Shirley helping to run the pub so Mick asks her to leave. RSVP", "EastEnders' Linda hands Mick divorce papers in Den and Angie throwback", "EastEnders' Kellie Bright made her Albert Square debut more than 25 years ago", "EastEnders: Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright to become new Queen Vic landlord and landlady", "Danny Dyer joins EastEnders as the new landlord of Queen Vic", "Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright to join EastEnders and run the Queen Vic pub", "EastEnders gossip from Danny Dyer and Carter family full Q&A", "Tuesday soaps: EastEnders has a rare happy couple but for how long? Linda was described as having been with Mick since they were teenagers, and despite not being 'blessed with brains', is a 'tough woman who will always fight tooth and nail for her family especially her children'. How old is Linda Carter in EastEnders? She leaves again in the middle of the night, saying Elaine has fallen, but she is fine and Linda tells Elaine that she could not talk to Mick. She says, "I didn't have any acting work, so I got a job waiting on tables to pay the mortgage, but it was while The Upper Hand was still on air. Janine moves an unconscious Linda into the driver seat to make it look like Linda was driving under the influence. Mick apologises for bringing up the subject of having a baby at the wrong time, but Linda says that she overreacted and it's fine. The character Linda Henry plays in Walford is ranked 36th in the 100 greatest EastEnders characters of all time. Mick initially doesn't tell Linda the reason why he is in court, but Linda demands to know the reason and Mick explains that he was arrested for soliciting with a prostitute, however it was a misunderstanding and he wasn't with the prostitute, but Ian Beale. In December 2017, the entirety of the Willmot-Brown family enter the Queen Victoria, and reveal to everyone that Weyland & Co own Grafton Hill, and as a result the pub, much to Kathy's horror. "Don't forget my husband is much younger than me. Miss Winehouse and Lindy-Pops) both by Janine Butcher) Ladyship (by Alfie Moon) Lin (by Ben Mitchell) Mick tells Linda he is innocent and she worries whether she did the right thing, though Mick reassures her. Upstairs, Linda spots Nancy and Dexter kissing and she hits Dexter and Mick asks what is going on with her. Dev Griffin Nancy, Lee and Tina overhear Johnny explaining to Linda that with the baby on the way, it seems like the right time and he can't be her baby forever. Linda Henry has been a firm favourite on EastEnders ever since she first appeared on our screens back in 2006. We liked her already, but we love her now! Later in bed, Mick and Linda kiss and when Mick starts to touch Linda, Linda begs him to stop and she breaks down in tears, saying she can't do it. This kicks off a back and forth series of arguments between the pair, which dies down in November 2017. She also adds that her and Mick wanted 4 children, however something happened and she shouldn't be pregnant. Mick later finds out about the hotel and confronts Linda, who claims she cannot remember anything but gets herself tested for STIs. [10] Bright explained that Mick and Linda have grown up together, and said: "It's a weird thing when you've known someone your whole lifeyou're more than just husband and wife. After making herself sick one day, she tells Mick she cannot get married. "[6] Inside Soap said that Mick and Linda have a passionate relationship and adore each other. Lee Carter Johnny Carter Ollie Carter At Christmas time, Linda is visited by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), under the name of Judith, who unknown to her, has moved into The Queen Vic and is trying to take advantage of Mick. She later goes down to the boat's kitchen and sees a bottle of wine on a shelf, but as she climbs to reach for it the boat crash happens and she falls. Linda notices the photo of her with Dean, Lauren and Whitney on the wall and she smashes the picture before rushing to the toilet and throws up. 996 episodes, 1993-2015 Rita Simons . Doof Doof Count In April 2014, Matt Di Angelo was reintroduced as Shirley's estranged son Dean Wicks. Inside at the front desk, Linda and Mick tell PC Julian Walsh that they would like to report a crime that happened a while ago, a rape. Linda is later involved in a car crash with Janine and Annie after she and Janine argue over Mick. She lies to Mick about the result and plans to have an abortion, but Mick finds out and she agrees to keep the baby. Stunned, Linda tells Mick, while Dean goes into hiding, where he sees one of Mick and Linda's wedding invites. She tells him it's that or nothing. Linda says she told him no before trying to push him off and she told him to stop, but he didn't listen and he grabbed her and pushed her face down onto the table and all she could see were a vase of Lavender flowers and she use to love the smell. Linda then signs the DVD and hands over her mobile before returning to Mick. On Linda's birthday, Mick, dressed in Linda's dressing gown, brings Linda breakfast in bed and suggestively says she should open her birthday present and they start to kiss. Linda then attempts to seduce Stuart to record a confession from him, but he finds the recording device. Later, Linda receives a phone call to tell them the meat was lamb and not dog. He moves into the pub when he breaks his ankle and becomes immobile, and, despite initially clashing with him, Linda warms to having him around. Mick pulls Linda to the side and says the trouble is with Johnny, not Dean and they should let Johnny spread his wings a bit, plus they'll have a baby to worry about soon. Shirley tells Dean that Mick has a lot on and she informs Dean that Linda is pregnant. Linda reminds Lee that he's not on his own and he has her, Mick and Whitney and if he needs proper help, then they'll sort that and the next time he gets angry, he is to come and find her. Stacey then explains her encounter of being raped and then she tells Linda she knows how it feels because Dean raped her and Linda nods her head. Linda returns to Walford to help with Sharon's wedding dress and she tells Mick she's just stopping by to see how they all are. Classification Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Bright. Mick promises Nancy that he's going to fix the problem with Linda once and for all and later in the kitchen, Mick asks Linda to sit down. Later, Shirley heads to Phil and Sharon's with a gun, which originally belonged to Ronnie Mitchell and Shirley accidentally shoots Phil. Linda later rekindles her relationship with Mick and they agree to try again following the revelation that Janine manipulated Mick and that she was responsible for the crash. Later, when the family eat Mick's birthday cake, Nancy tells her parents that she can't pretend everything is OK when it isn't and she tells Linda that she points out that the mum she knows wouldn't have let Dean run his mouth off and she would've told him something about himself. Linda tells Max she can't leave with him because she knows something is wrong with Mick. Elaine makes some progress before leaving again. Stacey tells Linda that she never dealt with it in the right way and she should have told her family and her husband, Bradley Branning. Shirley later informs Linda of Shelley's actions however Linda refuses to confront Shelley or stop their 'friendship' as she wants to impress Shelley and Mieko much to the disgust of Shirley. [20] Her second son was conceived through IVF, and following his birth, the couple froze three embryos. Tina asks what Dean has done and Shirley defends Dean, claiming Linda is lying. Elaine and Sharon enter and see that Linda and Mick have reconciled and Elaine wonders what everything has been about. She returned full-time on 4 April 2022. EastEnders airs possible heartache and horror scenes next week on the BBC soap, including a brutal attack. [4] She also auditioned for the role of Tanya Branning in 2006, a role that was eventually given to Jo Joyner. Although uneasy, Mick tells Linda he will raise the baby as his own. Rainie Cross, who is trying to get Max to return to the Square, becomes suspicious of Linda and threatens to tell Max that he has a baby on the way. [15], Bright took part in the BBC's Children in Need appeal in 2014 along with Danny Dyer and the rest of the EastEnders cast who performed a Grease medley titled "Grease Enders". Shelley insults Ollie which leads to Shirley punching her. Mick tells Linda he has apologised and doesn't know how to make things right and Mick says that sooner or later, she will have to make a decision unless she plans to marry someone else and the sight of seeing her in a wedding dress kills him as he didn't think the first time he would see her in one is when they split up. The introduction of Dyer and Bright was part of a large cast shake-up planned by new executive producer Treadwell-Collins in an attempt to improve ratings. She leaves and heads to Sharon's, much to Phil's annoyance and Mick and Elaine head over to Sharon's when Sharon texts Mick. Linda also says that Dean could be sweet and he was there when she went through a bad time with Mick, but she swears never sought him out or lead him on and PC Jenkins reassures Linda she believes her. Linda and Mick's eldest son, Lee Carter (Danny-Boy Hatchard), returns from Afghanistan, where he has been serving in the army. [10] Later, Mick tells Linda that they need to talk and Linda says it's about time and she heard him and Johnny, but she refuses to talk about it as she thinks she knows her children and Johnny isn't gay. When Linda discovers that Mick has been fighting in the pub, Shirley tells her that he has struggled with her prolonged absence and Linda admits that she has neglected him. 7pm - 10pm, Remember Later, Mick tells Linda that it's a shock Johnny is gay, but Linda says she knew and she feels it's her fault as Johnny nearly died when he was a baby and she'd never let anything hurt him, but she's protected him his whole life and she feels men will just hurt him as he is sensitive and too accepting. Paired with professional dancer Kevin Clifton, she was described by head judge Len Goodman as a "great all round dancer". Linda gets out of bed to make sure Johnny has arrived home safely as Mick reminds her of the time Johnny was born and he was in an incubator whilst she had an infection. [23] When Dean returns to the pub after a short absence, Bright stated that Linda is horrified despite trying to move on. When Phil is kicking everyone out, Phil is confused to how Mick knows Shirley and Shirley reveals to Mick that Phil is her brother. Linda and Mick receive an invite to their daughter Nancy Carter's (Maddy Hill) wedding to Wayne Ladlow (Malachi Kirby), a troublemaker, but they disapprove so Mick forcibly removes her from the wedding service. In September 2015, Bright joined the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. In 1990, at the age of 13, Bright was cast as Joanna Burrows in TV series The Upper Hand alongside William Puttock, Joe McGann, Diana Weston and Honor Blackman which ran for six years. The character appeared in her 1,000th episode on 12 October 2022. Mick later decides that it is better for them to leave the pub and they sell it to Ian Beale and Sharon. Father-in-law The actress - who is expecting her third baby with husband Paul Stocker - underwent IVF treatment. Aggie Bright won the 2014 Digital Spy's Readers Award for Best Female Soap Actress. She also puts up a chart marking the days of being sober and gets rid of all her hidden bottles of alcohol throughout the house. When Linda learns that Dean is upstairs with Mick, she leaves the table and Nancy tells the family that Mick is going to propose to Linda. [31] Kate White from Inside Soap was pleased to see Linda's backstory explored, saying "Now we know a bit about Linda's past and what made her a control freak, she's finally a sympathetic character. [20] Dean also stumbled upon the family secret that Mick and Linda were not married, and later drunkenly kissed Linda when she was struggling with issues surrounding Mick falsely pleading guilty to soliciting prostitutes. Mick brings Dean inside The Vic and he asks Linda to make sure Dean keeps quiet whilst he and Tina go and look for Shirley, who they presume to be at Aunt Babe's. However, Phil stops Aidan at the last minute and pressures him into leaving Walford or he'll reveal to the police that he killed Fi's brother Luke Browning (Adam Astill). Fans will . EastEnders bosses worked with charity Rape Crisis to develop the storyline. He then heads home to tell Linda everything but he can't find her and assumes she has left with Max. Seeing Linda upset, Johnny offers to go after Christmas, but Linda says he should go and have an adventure, grabbing the opportunity to have fun whilst he can and they'll be many more Christmases. Linda falls into a coma for the next few days and once she awakens, is disowned by her family who are unaware of Janine's actions. Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie) is eager to throw a coronation party in the Queen Vic, but recent events in EastEnders have left Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright) distracted. Linda returns at Tina's funeral where she finds out that Mick and Janine are in a relationship. This conversation is overheard by Dean, who agrees to keep quiet. When Linda was away in Watford caring for her ill mother, Mick kisses Whitney carter. On 19 December the pair reached the final three and topped the leaderboard with a score of 119. Father Linda sits in the bar with her coat and bag and when Mick arrives back with Nancy and Lee, she tells him that she wants to go now as she can't put it off another day and Mick gives her the car keys. Linda then retrieves her bridesmaid dress and underwear from the wardrobe and disposes of them in the bin before crying. Mick discovers that he, Linda and Ollie share the same blood type, but Dean does not, meaning Dean cannot be the father. Linda quickly flees the chip shop soon after and Stacey goes after her, asking what she meant and she can't just leave it. Upstairs when Linda is in the kitchen, Dean enters and tells Linda she is sick and asks if she was jealous as he and Stacey were genuinely happy and Linda felt she had to protect Stacey. Mick decides to call Linda's mum, Elaine and she arrives at The Vic and she tells Mick that she isn't going anywhere until she has got to the bottom of things. Linda makes a costume for Ollie for World Book Day and he wins 2nd place, delighting Linda. Elaine asks if things between her and Mick are alright as she was concerned when Linda last stayed with her and tells her that every marriage has problems. At The Albert, as it approaches 7pm for Linda's telephone consultation, she asks Mick if they can leave, using a headache as an excuse for them to leave and during the consultation, Linda says the reason she wants an abortion is because she loves Mick, however she is unsure if her baby is his and she can't give him a baby that might not be his. Nancy points out that it's identical to her mum's current ring, but Mick says the sapphire in the ring is real and during dinner, Linda gets a call from her mum and Linda is unable to hold back her tears. Mick tells Linda that they have years ahead of them to focus on each other and if they did have another baby, they wouldn't have freedom until they were in their 50's and they'd have to look after a child for the next 18 years with nappies, teething, schools and puberty. "[6] He said that the characters would laugh, cry, argue and make up, which would embarrass their children, but would delight their neighbours. Linda Carter joined EastEnders in 2013. However, Linda is still tempted to drink and on the day of Denny's funeral, after an argument with Sharon, she does. [20] Speaking of Dean's feelings for Linda, Di Angelo claimed that it stemmed from the desire that "Dean (secretly) wants to be Mick", but warned that it wouldn't "be filled with too much happiness for too long". Horrified at what she has done, Linda runs off. The day of the boat party, which is being held to celebrate the Vic winning best pub, Linda and Shirley fight when Shirley notices Linda drinking as they prepare to leave. Linda begins working in the laundrette. Mick leaves messages on her voicemail to ask her to come home and Elaine returns her to the pub. Linda continues to be uncomfortable with this, and attempts to sabotage his plans by making him work. Linda pretends that it was the way Lee went off at Dexter at Nancy's party and it got her thinking whether Dexter is right for Nancy. In September 2019, it was confirmed that an upcoming storyline would see Linda battle with alcoholism. [24] Bright also added that Linda does not want to know who the baby's father is as she thinks that Linda is "scared and terrified". Linda asks Shirley what she is doing here and Tina says it was her fault and they don't want any trouble. As Mick struggles from his depression, he tells Linda to stay away from him. Bright estimated herself to be aged 10 at the time. After, Linda apologises to Sharon for how she was as Shirley turned up and they have major history and she tells Sharon that she wouldn't believe the stuff Shirley's done in the past before advising her to stay well clear. Linda tells Mick that she slept with Max but Mick can't bring himself to do anything about it which makes Linda think he doesn't care. However, Johnny likes the job and tells her that he does not want to feed information to her. Linda is devastated to learn that Elaine has had a stroke in Spain on Christmas Eve, and she flies out there with Johnny to support her mother. Linda is in the middle of a raffle and Linda and Shirley don't seem to be too pleased to see each other. Linda tells him that they have to be honest with each other about what the situation is doing to them and that she can't get back to what she was or they can't get back what they had in time, but they won't if they keep pretending to be strong for one another. The renewal commences, and Linda fluffs her lines, however they eventually get through their vows and a party commences in the pub. Linda eavesdrops while Mick, Tina, Shirley, Babe and Stan argue, only to hear Mick deny that Dean is part of the family. Later, Mick tells Linda he will get Johnny to get rid of the moped and changes the subject onto the baby and he offers to listen whilst Linda talks. Later on in the bathroom, Linda opens the pregnancy test, which has a positive result. In August 2017. Now Read: EastEnders confirm Harry Redknapp will make a special appearance later this year, EastEnders actor Nitin Ganatra working in family's shop after quitting soap role of 12, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale schedule change: When are the soaps on this, recently hit out at trolls who criticised her for having a baby in her 40s. Lindas grandfather, Pat Peacock, was a pro Boxer named Prancing Pat Peacock. Linda says that they haven't got the money and their children are running wild plus she wants to be there for them. Linda later invites Sharon to live with the Carters but her guilt grows, especially when Keanu's mother Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) becomes convinced that Phil has killed him, causing her to drink heavily again. Shirley urges Linda to realize that she still loves Mick and that she should try to save her marriage. Dean ignores Linda and says that everyone is downstairs and as Dean pushes Linda on to the table, Linda tells him no and pleads for him to stop, but he ignores what she says and rapes Linda. Mick reminds her that they were always going to make it proper one day and Linda questions whether he means if the last 25 years between them haven't been proper. Linda is distraught when Mick is shot by Callum "Halfway" Highway (Tony Clay), an army friend of Lee's during the robbery. Linda confronts a delusional Dean when he insists on meeting the baby, believing that Ollie is his son. Linda visits Stacey and Linda hasn't told Mick and Stacey urges her too as she can't let Dean get away with it, but Linda fears Dean will hurt her family and Stacey susses out that Dean has been threatening her, which is more reason to tell Mick but Linda doesn't want to as Mick would kill Dean. Stepdaughters [19] She gave birth to her second son on 21 November 2016. Months later, Linda begins feeling sick and discovers she is pregnant. BIGGEST Moments: Mick and Linda Carter | EastEnders EastEnders 355K subscribers Subscribe 102K views 8 months ago #EastEnders Take a look back at some of the highs and lows from Mick and. Mick gets hold of Dean and he pushes him into the table, causing it to collapse and he starts punching Dean whilst Linda pleads for Mick to stop. Linda falls down the stairs, causing her to go into premature labour. "[32] Bright won the awards for "Best Actress" and "Best Dramatic Performance" at The British Soap Awards 2015. Linda agrees to reconcile but is furious when Mick admits he paid Whitney off, so she slaps him.