Kellie Bright has confirmed her exit from EastEnders next year after 13 years as Linda Carter.
The BBC One soap has announced that the actress is leaving the popular role as former Queen Vic landlady Linda as part of a big storyline which will conclude in 2027.
Fans have seen her positioned as one of the potential brides for her former lover Max Branning (Jake Wood) that were teased in the New Year’s Day flash-forward episode to next year.
While Max is currently engaged to Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), his on-screen affair with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) indicates it won’t be smooth sailing.
Linda is currently exploring a romance with kind widower and local councillor Clive Masters (Jason Durr), so could this be a happy ending?
Or could Linda – in our wildest hopes – be reunited with her presumed-dead soulmate Mick Carter (Danny Dyer)?
Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) in the flash-forward episode from New Year’s Day. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Speaking about her exit, Bright said: “EastEnders has been my home for thirteen years and I have absolutely loved being part of the show, but I have decided that it is now the right time for me to say goodbye.
“I made the tough decision over a year ago, and after discussing this with Kate Oates and Ben Wadey, they asked me to stay on to be part of an exciting storyline they had planned, and I happily agreed to extend my stay.
“I will miss my friends and colleagues hugely, but I am looking forward to my next chapter and spending more time with my wonderful boys.”
Will Linda Carter (Kellie Bright, left) find happiness with Clive Masters (Jason Durr)? BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
Meanwhile, executive producer Ben Wadey commented: “Kellie has been at the beating heart of EastEnders for the past 13 years, and her characterisation of the fiercely lovable, protective, and brilliant Linda Carter has made her a favourite amongst the viewers and cemented her as a classic EastEnders icon.
“Kellie has been involved in some of the show’s most explosive and iconic storylines, and everyone at EastEnders will miss Kellie and Linda dearly.”
Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer blasted onto our screens as Linda and Mick Carter in 2013. Richard Ansett
He added: “When Kellie told us of her decision last year to leave, we already had big plans for Linda, so we were delighted that Kellie agreed to stay on to see them through.
“We’ve still got a long way to go before we say goodbye, but I can promise that Kellie’s exit storyline will be full of unmissable drama.
“I’d like to thank Kellie for her time here at EastEnders, and we wish her all the best for the future.”
Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) famously killed Keanu Taylor on Christmas Day 2023. BBC
Linda burst onto our screens in late 2013 and has been a staple ever since. Her most notable storylines have included her marriage to Mick, a hard-hitting rape storyline involving Mick’s brother Dean Wicks (played by Matt DiAngelo), her alcoholism, her affair with Max, losing Mick at sea following his disastrous marriage to Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), and killing Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) to save her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) as a member of The Six.
Last year, Linda left the Queen Vic after a decade behind the bar and sold it to current landlady Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) – the landlady she took over from when she arrived.
Will Janine’s reported return link to Linda’s eventual exit?
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