‘I’m doing more things now that I used to be afraid of’
Shona McGarty opens up about turning down Strictly and why she has no immediate plans to leave EastEnders
She was a 16-year-old studying for a childcare qualification when she landed the role of Whitney Dean in EastEnders. Now, 13 years later, actress Shona McGarty finds it hard to believe that she is still in the soap and set to celebrate her 30th birthday in real life later this year.
Given everything that her screen character Whit has been through
– child abuse, stalking, prison, murder, you name it – you’d think she’d have given up and taken refuge in Arthur’s shed by now.
Of course, happy endings are few and far between in Walford, especially for Whit, who has found out that her fiancé Kush has done a deal to do a longer jail sentence. But that’s fine by Shona, who admits that she loves nothing better than seeing her character smiling one minute and sliding down a wall the next.
Here, Shona, 29, who looks radiant on our Zoom call (which she says is all down to her ring light), talks about being in no hurry to leave EastEnders, her love of yodelling and why she regrets turning down Strictly Come Dancing...
Shona, we can’t believe it’s been 13 years since you joined
EastEnders!
I know. It’s crazy! I mean, Maisie Smith is a beautiful young woman now, but when I first joined the show, I used to carry her around on my hip. I can’t do that any more and I’m sure she wouldn’t want me to. I remember being 16 and walking onto the set and seeing a very tiny Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay. He said to me,“I’ll look after you, babe.” I thought I was only going to be there for a month, so it is just crazy to be here 13 years on. It is weird to look back at
the footage of me back then. I get loads of throwbacks and stuff on Twitter. The costumes were outrageous but I do miss them. I think the Ugg boots need to make an appearance.
Did studying childcare mean you got on really well with the younger members of the cast?
Me, Maisie and the other kids used to run around with walkie-talkies in our lunchtime and I was 16! I’m a child at heart.
Were you really prepared for the spotlight at the age of 16?
No, but EastEnders were good. They explained that it wouldn’t be crazy like Hollywood – it is Borehamwood at the end of the day. I remember going into Tesco with my mum and wondering why people were looking at me. It is a weird feeling. But you know, everyone is always really nice to me and I’ll have a chat with anyone in Tesco. At the moment, they are all telling me to stay away from Gray.
Have you ever thought about leaving EastEnders?
I do watch period dramas sometimes and think,“Ooh, I’d like to do that one day”, but I am really enjoying EastEnders. It’s an amazing place to work. With Whitney, I’ve been so lucky with the storylines. She is amazing to play. I’m also very lucky to have a job as a lot of actors are out of work.
How has the last year been for you?
When the first lockdown came, we had to stop working and that was really strange, but I learned a few new things to keep me busy.
What did you learn?
I learnt how to yodel. I’ve always liked the sound of it and I saw this yodel CD and guidebook. So I bought it and spent some time doing it. I can’t believe I just admitted that.They’ll probably write a yodelling storyline for Whitney now. I am also learning the harmonica at the moment. I’ve done a bit of art too. I like abstract, which is a bit easier than portraits and things. I just have fun, throwing paint at the canvas and seeing what happens.
Have you done online exercise classes?
Yes. I discovered this thing called Clubbercise.They send you some glow sticks and then you join the class via Zoom. It’s like being at rave.You get taught a workout and go mad for an hour. It’s really fun and all my neighbours have heard me
and seen me with my glow sticks. I’ve been doing a lot of boxing too. I’ve got my boxing bag and all the kit.
‘The pandemic has given us the gift of time’
Has Davood Ghadami [who plays Kush] got you into CrossFit yet?
No, he hasn’t actually asked me if I’d do it. I’m sure Davood would be a great teacher, but it looks really hard. I think he knows I would say no if he suggested it [laughs].
And you have two dogs at home..
Yeah, they are Chihuahuas so they’ve only got tiny little legs. They get out of breath going up stairs. I have taken them on some lovely long walks. There’s some woodland near me that I didn’t know existed until we went into lockdown. The pandemic, which I know has been really hard for lots of people, has given us the gift of time. It’s been lovely for me to get outdoors and close to nature.
What have you missed the most in the past year?
Cooking for my family. I can’t wait to have them all here, sitting around the table. I don’t want to go clubbing or anything... apart from in my kitchen! I have two nephews, Corey and Teddy, and I’ve missed them terribly. FaceTime just isn’t the same as seeing them in person. Teddy is only two-and-a-half and he keeps asking his mum when he is going to see my house. It’s made me realise how lucky I am to have family because some people don’t. I also appreciate my home. My sister and I did a sleep out to raise money for homelessness. I don’t personally know anyone who has been homeless or have any experience of it, but it is one of those things that just gets me. I feel we need to look after our homeless.
Are you dreaming of a holiday abroad? Not really. I’m a bit of a liability really. I get prickly heat in the sunshine. I’ll probably go to Ireland instead.
What’s on your bucket list?
I want to do a sky dive and I’d like to do Strictly. I was asked to do it, but nerves got the better of me. As I’ve grown up, I have realised that the anxiety and nerve thing that I suffer from, which stops me from doing things, is all in my head. I’m doing more things now that I used to be afraid of, such as live interviews. I know I’m on a huge soap, but if I make a mistake, I can do it again. With a live interview or Strictly, you only get one shot. Maisie keeps telling me to do Strictly and I would really love to, although she absolutely smashed it and I said to her that I’ll have to wait two years now before I do it.