EastEnders legend Shona McGarty lands huge new role as she follows in footsteps of Cheryl Tweedy after quitting soap
EASTENDERS star Shona McGarty is gearing up to take her talent to the stage.
The actress will depart from the BBC soap next month after an incredible 16 years as Whitney Dean to explore new ventures.
She will be taking the baton from Cheryl Tweedy and is set to play Jenny in 2:22: A Ghost Story for it’s run in Dublin.
Shona, 32, will be joining Once Upon a Time’s Colin O’Donoghue, Laura Whitmore and Strictly’s Jay McGuinness.
Sharing the poster on Instagram, Shona wrote: “I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be playing “Jenny” @dannyrobinswithoneb @222aghoststory in Dublin! So excited !!!! Get your tickets now!”
The theatre show follows the story of Jenny and her husband Sam (Colin), who believe their house is haunted – which becomes the topic of conversation with their dinner guests, Lauren (Laura) and Ben (Jay).
The stint will take place at Dublin 3Olympia Theatre and will run from June 20 to August 11.
Who has played Jenny previously?
The role of Jenny has been played by several huge names - lets take a look at the timeline
2021: Lily Allen and Giovanna Fletcher
2022: Mandip Gill and Laura Whitmore
2023: Cheryl Tweedy and Jaime Winstone
Shona said she wanted to leave EastEnders to “spread her wings” in a heart-felt post back in July last year.
“It’s going to be the end of an era, or an earring, as the EastEnders saying goes.”
“I’ve loved my time in Walford, but with the character of Whitney, bless her, she’s had some awful things happen to her, and I think she needs a break. The door’s open and I could always come back in the future.
“But at the moment, I want to pursue things that are in my heart, like singing — stuff that I’ve been doing since childhood and dreaming about. EastEnders has been amazing; I just want to do other things.”
In an interview with The Sun last month, she spoke about her exit from the soap.
“It was a really difficult decision, because it’s all I’ve ever known. I pretty much grew up on the Square, so I feel like I’m leaving home,” she said.
“But I had to put on my big girl pants and be quite brave, because life is so short, and you feel that more and more as you get older.”
“There are other opportunities and areas of the industry I want to explore before I get too old! All things come to an end and this is the new chapter of my life.
“So although it was a big decision, once I’d made it, I was quite resolute that this as something I had to do,” she added.
She will be taking over from Cheryl, who wowed fans with her performance as Jenny.
The former Girls Aloud singer received rave reviews for her performance.
Cheryl was met every evening by star-struck fans as she left the theatre.
After her first curtain call back in February 2023 she appeared to fight back tears as she bowed to the crowd, who gave her a standing ovation.
Cheryl appeared on the stage alongside her co-stars former EastEnders actor Jake Wood, Lousie Ford and Scott Karim.
Stacey Dooley is also set to be gearing up to play Jenny in the show’s West End version.
She will be joined on stage by The Inbetweeners star James Buckley, who will be playing Ben.
“Delighted to be involved in the next adaptation of 2:22,” said Dooley. “I fell for the play when I went to watch it in 2022. All four characters feel so familiar, which means the subtle ‘ghost story’ just works so brilliantly. Can’t wait to bring Jenny back to life!”
