[5] Coghill has explained that Tony began grooming Whitney as soon as he met Bianca, ingratiating himself so as to become the family's "hero figure" and "saviour". Bianca disapproves when she finds out. He publicly declares his love for her, but when he is unable to give her a driving lesson, Lucy suggests that Tyler does it, because she knows that Tyler likes Whitney. Heartbroken, Whitney visits Bianca but then returns to Walford and then moves in with Stacey. After Whitney sees Janine successfully pickpocket someone, she decides to try it herself - but ends up being hit in the face. Age She was desperate to stop Ben from dumping her for his gay lover, Paul Coker. Whitney visits Debra and tries to discuss the past but Debra isn't interested and rejects her. An issue-based story has seen expectant parents Whitney and Zack receive the news that their child would. That same day, Lauren helps Whitney do a pregnancy test, which is positive. A few weeks later, Johnny comes out to Whitney, which hurts her as she feels that Johnny has been using her. The next day she is reconciled with an apologetic Lee but finds his wage slip showing how little he earns. Whitney does not react in the professional manner she is supposed to, causing Denny's injury to be ignored. Tiffany arranges a date between Whitney and Callum "Halfway" Highway (Tony Clay), but Whitney leaves the date after being put off by his behaviour. They later become good friends and Whitney forgives Johnny. Whitney ended her relationship with Lee however she decided to give him another chance as she wanted a happy ever after. Leo is fine and Kush gets arrested so Whitney feels guilty and decides to visit Leo at the hospital and pretend to want to get back together with him so that hell drop the charges against Kush, especially because her phone is broken which had all the evidence of the constant calls and texts from Leo. She then tells Tyler to leave her alone. Whitney hides the knife and later disposes of it in a canal. When she is caught, Rob rescues her from the situation and offers her what McGarty called a "dream life", which Whitney thinks is her chance to move up in the world as she feels lonely and has no friends. Lily Slater However, Tyler later tells Whitney that he cannot, as he loves her. When Billie is accepted into the army, Whitney decides to make the most of their two weeks together, so books a holiday to Alton Towers, however, Billie is unimpressed. In next week's episodes of EastEnders, Zack and. The following month, she sends Lauren a message and meets her outside the police station, looking rough, as she has been arrested for shoplifting. After speaking with Johnny and Lee, she decides to reply. Page Links: Whitney admits to feeling the same way, and they begin a relationship. Billie takes Whitney to his flat in Balham to collect his things and they bump into a girl named Kylie, and he introduces Whitney to her as a member of his family. Linda clocked in on what was going on and went to see Whitney. Tony loses interest in Whitney and hides her passport, but it is found and returned to her. She rushes to call the police but Leo arrives on the balcony and pushes her, causing her to drop her phone. She calls the police and Tony is arrested, much to Whitney's dismay and outrage. They go to a house where Whitney meets another woman Chloe (Georgia Henshaw) who is being exploited. Tragedy struck for Whitney when complication arose in Whitney initially refuses to discuss her and Tony's relationship with the police, believing that they were in love but Bianca makes her realise that Tony abused her and raped her for years. Spin-off Appearances Mick offers her 200 in lieu of lost wages but she tells him to keep his dirty money, annoyed with him revealing everything. Whitney and Ryan later steal Max's car for a joyride and return it, not realising that she has left her earring in it. When he finds him, they fight and fall over the edge of the pier. Janine lies about Whitney's whereabouts but when she admits she does not know where Whitney is, Lauren (now played by Jacqueline Jossa) and Janine attempt to find her, and Lauren sees her in Dartford going into a club. Callum and Tiffany arrive at the hotel but Whitney says she is fine and took care of it. Shona Mcgarty is not dating anyone as of 2023; as a result, she is not pregnant and is not expecting a child. [7] In 2020, Phoebe Farnham portrayed a younger version of the character in a hallucination experienced by Whitney. She spends the night with him and the next day is upset to learn that Billie has died in his sleep. [5], McGarty filmed her 1000th episode as Whitney in June 2018, over ten years after she joined the soap. Lauren is then thrown out by Rob. On Valentine's Day, Whitney rejects Halfway's surprise but she is touched when Halfway talks about how his grandfather brought him up to treat women with respect. When she doesnt go to Kushs hearing Kat is upset with her and Kush visits Whitney where she apologizes to him for not being there for him, explaining she is still recovering from the graveyard ordeal. EastEnders spoilers: Whitney Dean's secret boyfriend revealed to be sex abuser Tony King's son Leo. When the truth was revealed, Whitney was devastated and it is discovered that Whitney has been shoplifting, prior to this. Duration "[5], The idea that McGarty play a child groomed for sex was put to the actress on 9 January 2008. Leo later starts stalking Whitney, telling her he believes her about Tony and that he loves her because of their both having a connection to Tony. The next day, Lucy is found dead. Next week Albert Square fans will see her character Whitney Dean get together with Walford bad boy Tyler Moon. "[12] When asked how she felt about the abuse storyline, Palmer commented: "It would be brilliant if it helped somebody. Bianca takes her away on holiday, attempting to mend their relationship. [31] She did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist.[32]. Whitney tries to escape by first throwing a jewellery box at him but she realizes all the doors in the house are locked and she cant get out. Whitney and Halfway become engaged and during their respective stag and hen parties, Halfway confesses to having kissed Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). Lauren urges Abi to confess to Whitney as Abi gave Lee chlamydia which he gave to Whitney as Abi's boyfriend Ben Mitchell cheated on her numerous times and he gave it to Abi. Whitney apologizes for her attitude, but Halfway has to leave for the army. [2] The storyline also gained EastEnders a Royal Television Society Programme Award in March 2009 in the Soap and Continuing Drama category. Whitney asks Billie to choose between her and his former gang, and when Billie chooses her, gang member Kylie makes threats to Whitney, and then takes revenge by attempting to shoot Billie, but hits Jack instead. McGarty apologised for her lateness. She shows interest in his moped so he takes her for a ride on it. Fans watched as Whitney Dean tried her best to spice up her relationship with Halfway. Whitney thinks Ryan may also be dead until he appears. It's Whitney's way of keeping Tony happy. Whitney insists that she loves Halfway, but jilts him at the altar and encourages him not to live a lie with his sexuality. She runs away and is found by Bianca's ex-husband, Ricky, being drunk. She then tells Tyler to leave her alone. Upon accepting the role, he commented: "Shona doesn't act, or look, like a little child. Tony is released on bail and returns to Pat's house, hoping to convince Whitney to lie to the police for him, making Whitney realise Bianca is right, and agrees to make a statement against him. This is a responsible effort to try to get over an important story."[5]. At the boat party, Whitney considers throwing the knife overboard but Jack arrives to talk to her. She sends a reply and lays flowers and candles for him. [] He feels like he's losing his little girl but needs to keep Whitney under his control and not speak out. I realise now this is what the family meal has been missing three nights a week: gathering the telly to watch a grubby, greasyhaired thug drooling over a 15-year-old girl who (as luck would have it) spends her entire life in her school uniform even when she's not at school. She allows Rob to take her home but then tells him to wait outside while she escapes through the back door and hitches a lift to Southend-on-Sea with friends. She ignores a call from Tony and he leaves her a voicemail begging her to call him back, saying he loves her. Considering the character's role in the wider context of the show as a whole, it was decided that Whitney would be involved in a sexual relationship with Bianca's partner Tony King. During a siege at The Queen Vic, Ben is shot and Whitney begins to realize that Halfway has feelings for Ben. After several weeks Lauren and Whitney make up. But I hope by EastEnders tackling the sensitive issue of child abuse it can raise awareness. Thinking that Whitney is worried, Bianca states that they will see Tony, but he will be in a separate and different room location. She tries to kiss him but he pushes her away, saying that Whitney is like a daughter to him. She asks Bianca about the trial and asks her if she will see Tony. At Billie's birthday party, Whitney ends up kissing Peter. In a bid to inject some fire back into the relationship, Whitney went out of her way to buy some sexy lingerie to impress her boyfriend. EastEnders have already revealed who was knocked down by Whitney (Image: BBC) Though there was no evidence pointing to the Mitchells, Whitney is convinced that one of them are . Whitney thinks Ryan may also be dead until he appears. EastEnders viewers had their pulses racing during Thursday night's episode of the BBC soap. When Sharon questions Denny about his injury he says Whitney assaulted him. They later become good friends and Whitney forgives Johnny. However, she is unaware that Lee has overheard her via the baby monitor. If she lets him do it, then he's nicer to her and he makes her feel special. The next day Whitney thinks Billie is ashamed of her, and he insists that Kylie is just a friend. Later, he graffitis a wall with Whitney's name as a gesture. "[13], In January 2011, it was announced that Whitney would be part of an upcoming storyline on sexual exploitation. Upset, Whitney contacts Rob and asks to stay with him - to which he accepts. Whitney agrees to go on a date with Tyler and they agree to have sex but Whitney is unsure as she remembers her past and runs out, telling Tyler she never wants to see him again. Whitney runs off and gets drunk. Derek Branning (adoptive) Max Branning (adoptive) Jack Branning (adoptive) Ian Beale (adoptive) Simon Wicks (adoptive) It turned out that it was Ricky who had meant to order five but messed up. Whitney decides to put her fling with Leo on pause. He locks her in a room so she breaks the window and escapes, stopping a car and asking for help, while Rob shouts after her. Whitney initially ends their relationship and considers leaving Walford, but later decides to give him another chance. At the boat party, Linda accuses Mick and Whitney of having an affair since she saw them leaving Dots house together. Lucy teases Tyler by telling him that Fatboy plans to publicly propose to Whitney, so Tyler tells Whitney he likes her but Whitney says it is too late. The next day, the police reveal that Tony has been released on bail. When he confronts her, she tells him that Lucy was sending her abusive texts about her looks, and that she completely despised her. She grabs the knife in defence and he accidentally falls on it. Whitney and Carol argue over Connor, and Whitney feels she is not wanted by her family so decides to move out and stays with Ricky's sister and Ryan's wife Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). Whitney believes she is pregnant, and when she tells Tyler, he seems reluctant to take on a child. She and Lauren watch movies at Janine's flat, and get drunk. When Stacey finds out, she argues with Whitney and says she will not be seeing Lily again. Kylie and her friend Connor track Billie and Whitney down in Walford, where Kylie tells Whitney she will look after her. She tells him she has told the police everything about Rob, including Ryan's fight with him, and Ryan tells Whitney he has to leave. Whitney then messages Ryan saying she needs to see him urgently. [22][23] New Statesman journalist Jeremy Sare commented on the public outrage and defended EastEnders decision to air the storyline, writing: Sare quoted a BBC spokeswoman as saying: "we appreciate that for some viewers this storyline will have particular resonance and significance. She then goes for a drink and Joey tries to comfort her which leads them to start flirting with one another. Whitney Dean Soon after, Tyler moves in. Whitney struggles in prison in the days leading up to her bail hearing, during which she is denied bail meaning she will stay in prison until her trial, despite Kush pleading guilty on Grays advice that it will help Whitneys case. Whitney warmed up to him when he helped her remove a ribbon, which was stuck in her hair. Leo agrees to not press charges but when she steps out of the hospital room he finds her evidence notebook in her bag which he takes. When Ryan returns from a holiday, he learns of Whitney's ordeal and urges her to go to the police and get tested for sexually transmitted infections. At her funeral, Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) discovers a condolences card with "Rot in Hell" written on it, and realises the handwriting matches Whitney's. Following another argument with Lee, Whitney confides in Mick, telling him she is going to buy Ryan an engagement present. In the end, Ben learnt the truth, dumped Abi and got together with Paul. Whitney is forced by Babe to tell Lee about her kissing Mick, and although Nancy tells her to move out, Lee's response is to propose marriage. Bianca's half-brother Billie Jackson arrives back in Walford for Bianca's wedding and Whitney enjoys getting to know him. Woody arrives and punches the guard, and takes Whitney home. Whitney tells Tyler about the kiss with Joey, so he breaks up with her. Parents to be Whitney (Shona McGarty) and Zack (James Farrar) had to make the heartb Whitney later thanks Mick for helping her with Lee, but accidentally kisses him on the lips in the process. She receives a letter from a stranger, which the letter is from Tony, asking Whitney to come and see him in prison. [4] EastEnders' executive producer Diederick Santer said that his vision for the character was someone "quite spiky, quite gobby, a bit of an equal to Bianca, and in a way a version of Bianca at that age". They dispose of it in a bin but later on after Billie goes back to Balham, he still has the gun in his bag. Whitney becomes jealous when Tony begins showing an interest in Lauren Branning. Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) joins the argument and snatches Asher's wallet when he says he does not give refunds, but he snatches it back. It goes well until he asks about past relationships. Many people and the media are curious about the current rumor about the actress from EastEnders's pregnancy-related information. Not knowing what to do, Bianca approaches local GP Poppy Merritt (Amy Darcy) for help and she refers Whitney to a psychiatrist. Father Whitney convinces Peter and his sister Lucy (Melissa Suffield) not to report the attack to the police, but Tony blames her for the incident and ends their affair. A few days later Whitney agrees to meet with Leo and he takes her to Tonys grave where he pushes her into the ground forcing her to apologize to Tony. The BBC and television regulatory body Ofcom received upward of 90 complaints after Whitney's first scenes with Tony aired. They talk in his car until he goes to get some chips but forgets his wallet. Whitney tries to leave the hotel room after talking to Tiffany but Leo doesnt let her, yelling at her as she hides in the bathroom that he wants her to admit the truth and say that she and Bianca had made up the story that Tony had abused Whitney. She struggles with being back in her room and knowing how Leo was spying on her. Portrayed by Rob gains Whitney's trust and when she falls out with her family she turns to him for help. She is also the ex-wife of Lee Carter and was the fiance of the deceased Kush Kazemi. SHONA MCGARTY, who plays Whitney Dean in EastEnders, has revealed she split from her fianc Ryan Harris after an 18-month engagement last year, as the actress admitted the former couple "grew apart". Whitney is angry when Derek's son, Joey Branning (David Witts) kisses her. Ryan tells Ricky and Bianca that Whitney was upset and does not think she is coping. Ryan Malloy Liam Butcher (adoptive) Morgan Butcher (adoptive) Meanwhile, Sonia arrives home and sees Leos body in the kitchen. Whit Whitney Spears (by Tom Cotton) "[5] Numbers of viewer complaints rose within days to over 200. Whitney is thereupon approached by a man called Rob Grayson (Jody Latham), who helps her and buys her food before returns her to Albert Square; he also gives Whitney his phone number before she returns home. [16], McGarty told Inside Soap that she hoped the storyline would have a positive impact, saying that she had done some research herself before filming, meeting teenage girls who had been exploited and hearing their experiences. Tyler then surprises Whitney by kissing her. Since her debut on the show, Whitney's storylines have revolved around the fracturing of her family life; her sexual abuse by Bianca's fianc Tony King (Chris Coghill); her sexual exploitation by local pimp Rob Grayson (Jody Latham); her one-night stand with Joey Branning (David Witts) in the midst of being engaged to her first fianc Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline); her marriage with Lee Carter (Danny-Boy Hatchard) that ultimately breaks down as a result of his depression and subsequent infidelity with Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald), which resulted in him passing chlamydia to Whitney and consequently led her to miscarry their unborn baby; her romantic crush on Lee's father Mick (Danny Dyer); her wedding to Callum Highway (Tony Clay) that ends in disaster after she learns that he is having a romantic affair with another man Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), shortly before their reception at The Queen Victoria public house is caught in an armed siege perpetuated by escaped convict Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter); her ordeal of being stalked by Tony's vengeful son Leo King (Tom Wells), which soon culminates with Whitney killing him in self-defence; being impregnated by Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and discovering that her baby has Edwards syndrome and omphalocele. 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