LINDA Carter brought Barbie to Walford when she arrived in the East End almost 11 years ago – but it’s time she bowed out.
The very pink, loud and larger than life character – played by Kellie Bright – burst onto screens during EastEnders Christmas episodes in 2013.
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Kellie joined the BBC soap alongside Danny Dyer, who played Linda’s husband Mick.
The pair were revealed to fans as the brand new owners of the Queen Vic pub, having bought it from Phil Mitchell.
Over the years that followed, the character quickly became a matriarch of Albert Square from behind the bar.
Kellie Bright established herself as a fan-favourite over some of her high-profile storylines, including being raped by her brother-in-law, Dean Wicks.
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Fans watched as she was left traumatised by the ordeal, while Dean maintained it was consensual sex.
But the character has reached her peak in the last two years, having been caught up in her husband Mick’s apparent death in 2022 and last year’s highly-anticipated Six storyline, as she plunged a carving knife into Keanu Taylor’s back.
Over the 10 months since Linda’s impulsive kill it has been difficult viewing. The constant yo-yoing has been a let down to the character as Linda relapses back into alcoholism.
While of course it’s an extremely important storyline, this is soapland and stories need to move forward.
Linda being removed from the Square could pave the way for further character development.
And with rapist Dean finally admitting his crime to a devastated Linda and a packed court room last month, things appear to be coming to a natural end for Linda.
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Phil Mitchell previously battled an alcohol addiction and ultimately needed a new liver, with the life-changing op paving the way for him to be rehabilitated and for his character to go down new avenues.
For Linda, she appears to be chained to the same story, no matter what her environment is.
Kellie Bright is a phenomenal actress and has proven she can tackle a wide-range of scripts and deliver powerful monologues, and while she would be greatly missed from EastEnders if she is leaving, her character has ran its course – for now.
The Sun’s exclusive pictures last week left fans fearful bosses had decided to bring the axe down on the character and kill her off.
Kellie Bright is a phonemenal actress and has proven she can tackle a wide-range of scripts and deliver powerful monologue
Alex DoyleSun TV Reporter
Snaps showed the Carter clan gathered for a funeral, with Danny Hatchard and Maddy Hill reprising their roles for the send-off.
All the clues hint to it being Linda’s funeral, with Kellie nowhere to be seen alongside her co-stars.
While Linda stans will hope it’s another red herring from EastEnders bosses, if this really is the end of Linda Carter, I think the character’s mark in Walford has truly been felt – and it’s the right time to go.
Linda Carter’s biggest EastEnders storylines
Linda arrived on the Square on Boxing Day in 2013, along with her husband Mick (Danny Dyer) and has been a hit with soap fans ever since.
Her first storylines revolved around the fact that she struggled to come to terms that her son Johnny is gay
In a storyline that had long-lasting repercussions, she was then raped by Mick’s brother Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo).
She fell pregnant shortly after and then was left devastated emotionally when she gave birth to a premature baby after falling down the stairs.
Things soon got worse for Linda after she discovered that her husband Mick kissed their daughter-in-law Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), who was married to their veteran son Lee (Danny Hatchard).
One of her more memorable storylines was when she was accused of perverting the course of justice. This was after Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) is shot and she was falsely accused of attempted murder.
Over the years she has suffered from a variety of illnesses and disorders which include bulimia, alcoholism, and a secret battle with cervical cancer. After she gave birth to her youngest son Ollie (Harry Farr), she also had to deal with his autism diagnosis.
Although she and Mick seemed to be the perfect couple, the pair split up for a short time after she had an affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood). This lead to another pregnancy.
However, the pair finally got divorced after Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) set her eyes on Mick. She wanted the landlord all to herself and she lured Linda rival back into alcoholism to drive a wedge between them.
After this led to Mick’s apparent death at sea, she struggled to adjust to life without her ex-husband and the true love of her life. This was just after the pair decided to have another go at their relationship.
Recently, Linda was the person who was at the very centre during ‘The Six’ storyline. She tried to save her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) when she was being strangled by Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). When she killed him with a meat thermometer, the group framed her rapist Dead Wicks after he returned to the square. Since then, she has struggled to cope.
