Is Whitney GOING DOWN

Eastenders’ Shona Mcgarty on her character’s dramatic courtroom decision that could see her locked up for years

Whitney faces life behind bars in Eastenders this week after sensationally deciding to change her plea to guilty halfway through her trial for killing Leo. Whitney’s in the dock for stabbing Leo to death after he stalked and confronted her in her own home.

The case has gone badly due to the erratic courtroom behaviour of her solicitor, Gray, and her ex-fatherin-law Mick having a panic attack when on the stand defending her.

‘Whitney decides to change her plea because she’s had enough,’ says actress Shona Mcgarty, who plays her. ‘The way she sees it, Gray and Mick have ruined her chances and she has no one else to stand up and fight for her. She’s on her own and thinks, “This is karma for all the bad things I’ve ever done, and I’m going down for it.” So she says to Sonia, “I’m changing my plea.” She thinks she’s going to prison and has to accept it. It’s quite sad, really.’

Whitney stabbed Leo with his own knife in a struggle when he surprised her in her home after secretly spying on her from her loft. He planned to kill her, believing she’d framed his dad for sexually abusing her.

Shona, who’s 28 and grew up near the Eastenders set in Hertfordshire, says, ‘Whitney knows she did it in self-defence but all she can think is, “I killed a man.” She’s got a tendency to think she’s done something wrong even if she hasn’t, because that’s what people have told her all her life, so she accepts she’s going to be punished.’

Sonia asks Gray to help Whitney see sense – but neither of them know that Gray murdered his own wife, Whitney’s friend Chantelle.

‘Whitney and Sonia notice Gray’s been acting strangely since he went

to court to defend Whitney instead of attending Chantelle’s funeral,’ says Shona. ‘But Sonia says, “He’s just lost his wife, it’s normal.” Whitney assumes he’s having a really awful time and wants to give him space.’

Gray tells Whitney to tell the truth about the night Leo died. ‘He says to her, “Chantelle would want you to tell the truth,”’ says Shona. ‘It strikes a chord with Whitney, who thinks about Chantelle, how much she missesher,andwhatshewouldsayifshe was here. Whitney thinks Chantelle

is watching over her during the trial and she wants to make her proud.’

Shona won’t say what’s in store for Whitney, who she’s played for 12 years since joining Eastenders aged 16. But, given her character’s tough upbringing, she believes she’ll cope.

‘Whitney was once hit by a bus and then had it dropped on top of her, so I think she’d be all right in prison,’ she says. ‘She’d try to make the best of an awful situation and use her time to help her fellow inmates.’ ■