Linda’s LAST stand?

EastEnders’ Kellie Bright on the thrilling showdown between Linda and her nemesis Stuart in this week’s special episode

With her husband Mick fa c i ng Christmas behind bars for attempted murder, EastEnders’ Linda Carter will stop at nothing to get a confession from Stuart Highway that Mick is innocent of shooting him.

This week, Queen Vic landlady Linda puts herself in grave danger during a tense episode involving just her and evil Stuart. Kellie Bright, who plays Linda, promises it will be a real thriller, full of high drama and emotion.

‘When I read the episode I was so excited,’ says Kellie. ‘ It’s very dynamic and has a lot in it. It’s two people talking for half an hour so you’ve got to make it exciting to watch. It’ll be a pivotal moment.’

Since Stuart arrived in Walford he’s pursued a vendetta against the Carters, wanting revenge for being imprisoned for a crime Mick committed when they were teenagers.

First he tormented Mick’s sister Tina about the time he once kidnapped and tortured her. Then he finally got his own back on Mick directly by shooting himself and blaming the Queen Vic landlord.

Once Mick was in prison, Stuart made his life hell by telling other inmates that Mick is a paedophile. At the same time, Stuart’s been inveigling his way into life at the Albert Square pub without knowing that Linda – and Mick’s mum Shirley – realise what he is up to.

Kellie, who’s 42 and was born in Essex, says, ‘She knows Stuart has manipulated all of this but thinks, “I’m the only one who’s going to be able to find the truth.” Linda decides the way to do this is to be seen to walk away from Mick completely, turn against her family.’

Linda asks Stuart to take Mick’s place as Santa in The Queen Vic grotto and kisses him, as part of her plan to get him to confess.

‘She’s allowing Stuart to step into Mick’s shoes, which is what he wants,’ says Kellie. ‘This is where Linda becomes unstuck – she has to get as close to Stuart as she can if she hopes to get anything out of him.

‘She kisses him and runs out of the room disgusted at what she’s done and annoyed with herself for not being able to do it.’ The pair make up, then comes their tense episode.

Kellie, who has two young sons with husband Paul, has been in EastEnders for five years, previously starring in BBC3 sketch show Horne & Corden and Rock & Chips, the prequel to Only Fools And Horses.

She had mixed emotions about the big episode. ‘I was chuffed as there’s something special about two-hander episodes,’ she says. ‘I also felt daunted because we didn’t have weeks to prepare it, so it was a lot of work, but I loved it. It was an honour and, more than anything, I feel really lucky.’