EastEnders star Shona McGarty reveals co-star inspired new role
Former EastEnders actress Shona McGarty has revealed which of her co-stars encouraged her to take on a new role in 2:22: A Ghost Story.
Shona, 32, played Whitney Dean in the serial for sixteen years, but following her exit is currently starring in the Dublin run of the hit play alongside TV presenter Laura Whitmore and The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness until 11th August.
The supernatural production, which follows four friends having a dinner party in a haunted house, has regular cast changes – with a number of pop, TV and soap stars appearing over the years.
EastEnders actors Jake Wood, Louisa Lytton, Joe Absolom and Ricky Champ have all appeared in the production during various West End stints and a UK tour – and it was the latter who inspired her to take to the stage.
‘I spoke to Ricky Champ, who played Ben in the West End,’ she explained.
‘He told me it was the best thing he had done, he enjoyed it so much and I’d be silly not to do it.’
Ricky played Stuart Highway in the BBC One soap for four years, before departing in 2022.
She continued to RSVP Live: ‘We’ve had some really great audiences so far. They all laugh and get shocked at different things in the show, which keeps us on our toes – you never know how they will react. It’s scary.
‘No matter how many times we do it, I always get butterflies in my stomach and think something could go wrong. But when we get into it, it is great, and I’m really enjoying it.’