EastEnders return ‘sealed’ for soap legend as Dean Wicks is sentenced to prison
Dean Wicks' trial ended in a lengthy prison sentence as Linda Carter was informed of his fate. But what if his legal woes were needed to bring back a dearly missed legend?
EastEnders fans have been begging for Shirley Carter to return to Walford – but could her son Dean’s prison sentence be enough for her to come back in a rage?
Actor Matt Di Angelo was confirmed to be leaving the BBC One soap and his character Dean Wicks was sentenced to nine years in prison after confessing to the rape of Linda Carter. Dean had originally been framed for the murder of Keanu Taylor as the Six remain desperate to keep their secret under wraps.
The Queen Vic landlady, played by Kellie Bright, was told by police this Monday, September 9, 2024, about Dean’s sentence and while this was reason enough to celebrate for her mother Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), Linda made a confession that set the record straight as she admitted she was responsible for Keanu’s death.
Grief-stricken Shirley left Albert Square in late, 2022, following her son Mick’s disappearance at sea
But with Dean sent to prison, EastEnders may be tempted to bring his mother Shirley Carter back to the Square for an explosive showdown with Linda, as the Walford tough woman could demand answers from her former daughter-in-law.
Shirley Carter, portrayed by actress Linda Henry since her debut in the London-based programme, has not been seen in Walford since late, 2022, in the wake of her son Mick’s supposed death at sea.
Heartbroken by the loss and still reeling from the murder of her sister Tina Carter, among many other hassles she’d faced during her years in the Square, Shirley waved an emotional goodbye to her pal Jean Slater and left before being reunited off-screen with her estranged children Carly and Dean Wicks.
Linda Henry was once tipped to reprise her role but less than two years after her exit, the actress has turned her life upside down and fans know they’ve seen the last of her.
Soap fans took to Reddit in August, 2024, to share their thoughts on Shirley’s absence, with one of them writing: “I want her to come back for at least one more stint so she can get a proper exit.” Unfortunately, the wish may never be granted as another viewer pointed out: “Pretty sure Linda moved abroad.”
This left another fan to clarify: actress Linda Henry has allegedly moved abroad to Greece, worlds away from the drama-packed Square. More soap fans expressed their confusion, certain that Linda was tipped for another appearance in the long-running show months ago.
“I genuinely don’t understand what happened. They announced her departure as a ‘break’ but it’s almost been 2 years now. Why didn’t they just announce it as her exit? It would have been a pretty fitting exit for the character”, one of them notably wrote.
The questions eventually led another handful of fans to speculate that Linda Henry’s return to the show could still be on the cards as Dean’s ordeal is far from over. One viewer suggested that Shirley could return to the Square “After Dean is found guilty or dies; the most we might get is the same as Nick Berry gave us at Pat’s funeral”, while another theorised Linda could reprise her role just in time for the show’s 40th anniversary.
Speaking of which, soap bosses confirmed this Monday that EastEnders viewers will be treated to a live episode for the long-running show’s 40th anniversary. The special episode will be broadcast from BBC Elstree Centre in February, 2025. Will Shirley be part of it?
