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BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', played by

Linda Henry Linda Varilis (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she has played since 2006. S ...

. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously played prostitute Lorraine Salter (1991–1992). Henry took a break from the show in September 2012, returning on 3 December 2012. Shirley is one of several ''EastEnders'' characters to appear in the internet spin-off series '' EastEnders: E20''. Some of her storylines have included trying and failing to rebuild relationships with her children Carly (

Kellie Shirley Kelly Jane Shirley (born 11 July 1981), known professionally as Kellie Shirley is an English actress who works in film, television, theatre and radio. She hails from Croydon via a large Northern Irish family. She has also co-presented programme ...

) and Deano (

Matt Di Angelo Mario Angelo S Constantinou (born 1 May 1987), professionally known as Matt Di Angelo, is a British actor and singer, best known for his role as Dean Wicks in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He also portrayed Sean Kennedy in the BBC drama s ...

), a friendship with

Heather Trott Heather Trott (also Peterson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Cheryl Fergison. She made her first appearance on 26 June 2007. The character was introduced as a guest character, but later became a regula ...

(

Cheryl Fergison Cheryl Fergison (born 27 August 1965) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' a role in which she starred in from 2007 until 2012. Career After training at Rose Bruford ...

), a volatile relationship with

Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...

(

Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has played since 1990. He was also the presenter of the game show, ''Britain's ...

), the introduction of her son

Mick Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broade ...

(

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...

), who at first was believed to be her brother, and his family, an affair with Phil, despite him being in a relationship with

Sharon Rickman Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Jul ...

(

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...

) and accidentally shooting Phil. Former ''EastEnders'' executive producer

Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive Pr ...

has described her as a "new icon" of the show.

Storylines

Shirley first appears, when, against her former husband

Kevin Wicks Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Phil Daniels. Kevin made his first appearance on February 17, 2006, when he was introduced onto the show alongside his two children, Carly (Kellie Shirley) a ...

' (

Phil Daniels Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in ''Th ...

) wishes, she introduces herself to her adult children, Carly (

) and

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

(

). Carly is hostile but Dean is amenable, so Shirley moves to Walford to be near them. Kevin and Shirley maintain an antagonistic relationship. Shirley attempts to sabotage his relationship with

Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her ...

(

Diane Parish Diane Parish (born 1 November 1969) is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006 Born in Chelsea, London and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Pari ...

) and threatens to tell her children about their true paternity, which she eventually does: she tells Carly her father is a man named Daniel and Dean that she does not know who his father is. Kevin had brought up Carly and Dean as his own, as well as his natural child with Shirley,

Jimbo Jimbo is a diminutive form of the given name James. It is also a Japanese surname, and it means state or province in Swahili. It may refer to: Given name or nickname * Jimbo (drag queen), Canadian drag queen * Jimbo Aquino (born 1985), Filipin ...

(Lloyd Richards), who had

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...

, which Shirley struggled with and ended up walking out on the family, not attending Jimbo's funeral when he died aged 21. The revelation only drives Carly and Dean further away. When she learns that Kevin has been selling cut-and-shut cars, she confronts him. They try to dispose of a stolen car together but are involved in a crash, which kills Kevin. In the aftermath, Carly rejects her mother and leaves Walford. Dean, who gets in trouble with the police, is imprisoned and when released he blames Shirley for all his problems and also moves away. Shirley begins a relationship with

Vinnie Monks Vinnie Monks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by comedian Bobby Davro. He made his first appearance on 8 October 2007. It was announced on 19 July 2008 that Davro quit the show to do other projects. He made ...

(

Bobby Davro Robert Christopher Nankeville, known professionally as Bobby Davro (born 13 September 1958), is an English actor and comedian. He made his television debut in 1981 followed by breakthrough in ''Live from Her Majesty's'' (1983); this was follow ...

), at the urging of her best friend

(

), but the romance eventually ends when Vinnie learns Shirley is harbouring feelings for

(

). Phil, an alcoholic, gets drunk with Shirley, uses her for sex and as a surrogate mother for his son,

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...

(Joshua Pascoe). Shirley falls in love with Phil. She gives him an alibi when he is suspected of murder and helps him get custody of his daughter,

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

(Brittany Papple), leading to them beginning a legitimate relationship. Shirley is so in love with Phil that she is willing to overlook his misdemeanours. She stands by him when Louise returns to her mother and Phil develops an addiction to

crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' calls ...

. She even forgives him for several affairs, firstly with fellow addict,

Rainie Cross Rainie Highway (also Cross and Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tanya Franks. Introduced as the drug-addicted sister of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), Franks has had three separate guest stin ...

(

Tanya Franks Tanya Christine Franks (born 16 August 1967) is an English actress, producer and writer. She has had starring roles on the television shows ''Family Affairs'', ''The Bill'', ''Pulling (TV series), Pulling'', ''EastEnders'' and ''Broadchurch''. ...

) and secondly with

Glenda Mitchell Glenda Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Glynis Barber. The character first appeared in the programme on 7 January 2010. She was axed in February 2011 and departed on 8 March 2011. She returned ...

(

Glynis Barber Glynis Barber (born Glynis van der Riet; 25 October 1955) is a South African actress. She is known for her portrayals of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the British police drama ''Dempsey and Makepeace'', Glenda Mitchell in ''EastEnders'', DCI Grace ...

). In remorse for his wrongdoings, Phil tries to convince Shirley to marry him and she almost does but decides that marriage is unnecessary. She remains with Phil under the proviso that he never cheats on her again. Shirley's life is thrown into turmoil when her best friend, Heather, is found dead at her flat. Unknown to Shirley, the murderer is Phil's son Ben. Phil tries to cover up Ben's involvement but Shirley grows obsessed with tracing the killer. She finds the murder weapon, a metal photo frame, in a neighbour's house and traces it to a charity shop where it was donated by Phil. She realises that Phil was involved in Heather's death and discusses her suspicions with Ben, who buckles under pressure and reveals information about Heather's death that only the murderer could know. Shirley realises that Ben killed Heather and tries to drown him in the bath, but Phil stops her. Phil convinces her not to call the police but Ben goes to the police and confesses. Unable to cope with Phil's betrayal, Shirley ends the relationship and starts drinking heavily. Phil sees that she needs help and calls Carly, who takes Shirley to stay with her and her son Jimmy. When Shirley returns, she remains hostile to Phil and takes his hush money, despite still having feelings for him. Shirley and her sister, Tina Carter (

Luisa Bradshaw-White Luisa Bradshaw-White (born 9 December 1974) is a former English actress, known for playing Tina Carter in '' EastEnders'' and for her previous roles on '' Bad Girls'', '' Holby City'' and ''This Life''. She has also made appearances in televisi ...

), move into

The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, when their supposed brother,

Mick Carter Mick Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' played by Danny Dyer, making his first appearance in the show in the episode originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2013. Dyer's casting was annou ...

(

), buys it and moves his family to Walford. After 25 years of animosity, Shirley is reunited with her father,

Stan Carter Stan Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', portrayed by Timothy West. He first appeared in the show's 4,793rd episode, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2014, and was introduced as the f ...

(

Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West, CBE (born 20 October 1934) is an English actor and presenter. He has appeared frequently on both stage and television, including stints in both ''Coronation Street'' (as Eric Babbage) and ''EastEnders'' (as Stan Carter) ...

). Despite their mutual hostility, Stan gives Shirley £10,000 which she invests in the pub for a 20% share. It transpires that Stan is in contact with Dean. Stan encourages a reunion with mother and son, but Dean remains hostile to Shirley. Eventually, Shirley manages to build bridges with her father and Dean. Shirley grows jealous of Phil's relationship with

(

). Sharon agrees to marry Phil but discovers that Phil was responsible for a break-in at her bar. Furious, Sharon decides to fleece Phil for his money in revenge. Phil discovers this, confides in Shirley and starts an affair with her, planning to jilt Sharon at the altar and resume a relationship with Shirley. However, Sharon and Phil discover their respective deceptions and ultimately decide to marry. Dejected, Shirley admits her affair with Phil after the wedding and when Phil rejects her, she shoots him. Fearing Shirley's incarceration, Shirley's aunt

Babe Smith Babe Smith (also known as Aunt Babe) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', portrayed by Annette Badland. She first appeared in episode 4796 of the show, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2014, ...

(

Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...

) organises her escape. Dean is distraught and when Mick's partner,

Linda Carter Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer). Linda was ...

(

Kellie Bright Kellie Denise Bright (born 1 July 1976) is an English actress. Her roles include Linda Carter in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', for which she won the 2015 British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance, Julie in ''Ali G I ...

), comforts him, and he rapes her. Mick and Dean eventually bring Shirley back to Walford when Stan admits he has terminal prostate cancer. They meet Shirley's childhood sweetheart, Buster Briggs (

Karl Howman Karl Howman (born 13 December 1953) is an English actor and voice-over artist. He is best known for playing Jacko in the sitcom ''Brush Strokes'' from 1986 to 1991, Mulberry in ''Mulberry'' from 1992 to 1993 and Buster Briggs in ''EastEnders'' ...

), and Dean realises that he is Buster's son. They plan to run away together but Mick has Buster arrested for breaking his bail conditions as he is on day release. It is later revealed that Buster is also Mick's father and Shirley is actually Mick's mother, not his sister. Shirley and Mick find Shirley's mother,

Sylvie Carter The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2014 listed by order of first appearance. All new characters in 2014 were introduced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, executive producer. ...

(

Linda Marlowe Linda Virginia Marlowe (née Bathurst, born 26 July 1940) is an Australian-born British film, theatre, and television actress. She is noted for her association with Steven Berkoff, performing in many of his theatrical works, creating a one-woman ...

), hiding at Babe's house. Sylvie has

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

and tells Mick she is not his mother but he dismisses this as her being confused. Shirley tries to stop Mick interacting with Sylvie, fearing her secret will be revealed. However, Sylvie is invited to Christmas dinner. Secrets are divulged at the dinner: Linda reveals Dean raped her so Mick tells Shirley before attacking Dean and is only stopped by Shirley confessing that she is his mother, not sister, and that Dean is his brother. The family is split following this revelation as Shirley sides with Dean, believing his version of events. Shirley reveals the reason why she kept her identity as Mick's mother a secret: her pregnancy with Mick was scorned by Sylvie, who attempted to force a miscarriage by pushing her down a flight of stairs. Shirley was forced to raise Mick as her brother and Stan's son, out of fear she would never see him again. Hostilities continue and Shirley struggles to bond with Mick, due to her and Buster's continued alliance to Dean. This results in Shirley being banished from Stan's funeral, despite Shirley having nursed her father through his dying moments. Shirley learns from Dean he has a seven-year-old daughter and confronts the child's mother,

Shabnam Masood Shabnam Masood (also Kazemi) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Zahra Ahmadi from 2007 to 2008,Rakhee Thakrar Rakhee Thakrar (born 29 February 1984) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2014–2016) and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–2021). She also ...

), who continues to lie. Shirley is upset when Linda forbids her from seeing Ollie.

Masood Ahmed Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nitin Ganatra. The character made his first appearance in episode 3452, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 October 2007. Masood was introduced as p ...

(

Nitin Ganatra Nitin Chandra Ganatra (born 30 June 1967) is a Kenyan-born British actor. He is known for portraying Masood Ahmed in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Early and personal life Ganatra was born on 30 June 1967 in Kenya. Both sides of Ganatra's ...

) gives Shirley the address of Dean's daughter, verifying the child, Jade Green (Amaya Edward), previously Roya, is alive. Shirley finds Jade but discovers she has cystic fibrosis. After Dean decides that Jade is better off without him and Shirley warns that she will fight for custody, eventually gaining Shabnam and Dean's support. When Shirley finds a bra behind her settee, she assumes Buster had sex with

Carol Jackson Carol Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as the mother of the Jackson family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned te ...

(

Lindsey Coulson Lindsey Coulson (born 13 April 1960) is an English actress, known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. For this role, she won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Coulson is also well known ...

), which Carol does not deny. Shirley nearly throws Buster out and starts considering adopting Jade alone but Carol admits that nothing happened and Shirley helps her come to terms with her mastectomy. Shirley and Buster are awarded custody of Jade after a grieving Shabnam does not contest it. Shirley prevents Dean from raping

Roxy Mitchell Roxanne "Roxy" Mitchell (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Rita Simons.Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer from London. She is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on screen ...

) and, finally believing that he is a rapist, tries to drown him in the bath but he recovers and strikes her as Linda enters. Dean then admits that he raped Linda and goes into hiding. Dean confronts Shirley at Mick and Linda's wedding and attempts to drown her. Mick saves her and Dean, who is then arrested over Roxy. Shirley then encourages Mick and Linda to get married and helps Nancy and Lee run the pub while Mick and Linda are on their honeymoon and has Jade help out to give her some work experience. She is furious when Shabnam turns up overprotective of Jade outside of her visiting hours, but after Masood tells her that Shabnam is unlikely to have any more children, she grows sympathetic and allows Jade to spend more time with Shabnam. She finds Phil binge drinking, where he admits that he drunk-drove and crashed a car with him,

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

(

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

) and Sharon's son

Dennis Rickman Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's centra ...

(

Bleu Landau Bleu Louie Landau (born 5 April 2005) is an English actor, known for his role as Dennis Rickman Jnr in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from September 2015 to February 2020. In 2017 he starred in Guy Richie's film ''King Arthur: Legend of the ...

), and Ian took the blame for driving. Shirley encourages Phil to tell Sharon what really happened, and when he eventually does later that night, Sharon ends their marriage. The following day, Shirley learns from Louise (now played by

Tilly Keeper Matilda Elizabeth Keeper (born 16 August 1997) is an English actress, known for her role as Louise Mitchell on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Shortly after leaving the soap, Keeper appeared in the BBC film ''Make Me Famous'' and has since ...

) that Phil has been rushed to hospital and his liver is damaged. Shirley, Sharon and Kathy Sullivan (

Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006), and as ...

) go to the hospital only to find that Phil has discharged himself. They find Phil drunk at the pub, where he insults his family and hits Kathy. Shirley throws Phil out and admits to Buster that she still has feelings for Phil and is upset as he is risking his health. Buster comforts her and tells her she should move on from Phil because he only cares about himself. A month later, Shirley receives another visiting order from Dean, and eventually decides to visit Dean in prison, to encourage him to plead guilty for trying to rape Roxy. Dean, however, is in denial so Shirley threatens to disown him permanently if he pleads not guilty. The next day, Shabnam tells Shirley, Buster and Jade that she is moving to Ealing so Jade can visit her anytime. In court, Shirley watches as Dean pleads not guilty, much to her disgust. However, due to his failure to surrender to custody on numerous previous occasions, Dean is remanded in custody and a trial in June. Realising that Jade needs protecting from Dean and should be with her mother, Shirley and Buster tell Shabnam that they would like Jade to live with her full-time, giving her full custody, which she accepts. Shirley, unaware that Buster is having an affair with Kathy, is furious when he pays off their acquitted son, Dean, with all their savings, but is later devastated when Buster leaves Walford without saying goodbye to her, whilst she is in the midst of helping Phil end his alcoholism. Mick suggests to Shirley that Buster had an affair with Denise, who is now heavily pregnant. However, when Shirley confronts Denise, Denise confesses she is expecting Phil's son, which is overheard by Sharon. Babe breaches the pub licence when she inadvertently sells alcohol to an undercover police officer, and the police arrive and arrest Mick, Babe and Shirley. They are formally charged with breaching their pub licence, remaining in custody until their appearance in court the following morning. Shirley later catches Babe stealing money from the safe, and discover that she stolen the entire money that her father left her, Mick and Tina in his will causing Mick to evict her. Shirley and Mick then disgusted to learn that Mick and Linda's son,

Lee Carter Lee Carter may refer to: * Lee Carter (baseball), American baseball player *Lee Carter (comics), British fantasy artist * Lee Carter (''EastEnders''), fictional character * Lee J. Carter (born 1987), member of the Virginia House of Delegates * Vipe ...

(

Danny-Boy Hatchard Danny-Boy Hatchard (born 26 July 1991) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Lee Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Hatchard's other credits include Aaron in the 2014 film ''We Still Kill the Old Way'' and Steven Pierc ...

), has hit his wife,

Whitney Carter Whitney Dean (also Carter) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shona McGarty. The character is the ward of long-running character Bianca Jackson ( Patsy Palmer) and was introduced on 1 April 2008 whe ...

(

Shona McGarty Shona McGarty (born 14 October 1991) is an English actress and singer who portrays Whitney Dean in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Before joining ''EastEnders'', McGarty had been involved in amateur musical theatre for six years, in ...

), during a heated argument. Mick confides in Shirley; she strongly advises Mick to tell Lee that he must leave Whitney, which he does so. Shirley and Tina later have arguments as to whether they should put Sylvie in a home as Shirley does not want to look after her as she can see the trouble Mick is in. Realising Mick will never be able to pay the £20,000 fine ordered by the court, Shirley decides to put the blame on herself and she tells the police she knew Babe was breaching their licence but did nothing about it. She is subsequently charged with perverting the cause of justice. Although the Carters initially think that Shirley will only be in prison for six weeks, they are heartbroken to learn that her sentence has been doubled, meaning that she will stay in prison for three months. Tina visits Shirley in prison to inform her of Sylvie's death which does not seem to upset Shirley but later when her cellmate Debbie Morton (

Beth Cordingly Beth Cordingly (born 25 October 1976) is an English actress, known for her appearances in series ''Family Affairs'', ''The Bill'' and ''Dead Set''. Early life Cordingly was born in Brighton and went to Brighton and Hove High School. She is the d ...

) teases Shirley about her feelings, Shirley beats her up in their cell. Shirley is tricked into selling the freehold of The Queen Vic by

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and Nov ...

(

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...

) and she forges Mick's signature. Mick is angry when he finds out and The Queen Vic is being controlled by Fi Browning (

Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...

). The Carters are unaware that it is part of a plan by a company, Weyland & Co, to demolish The Queen Vic and redevelop the whole area. The Carters are tricked into debt and are served with an eviction notice, however, they are able to save The Queen Vic when Mick gets involved in a heist and Lee's friend,

Callum "Halfway" Highway Callum "Halfway" Highway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tony Clay. He was introduced in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2018. Callum is introduced as a friend of the Car ...

(

Tony Clay Tony David Clay (born 8 August 1991) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Callum "Halfway" Highway in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2018. Early and personal life Clay was born in Bexley, Kent on 8 August ...

) donates an expensive ring that he stole from the heist.

Development

Shirley's creation was announced in September 2006, at which time she was described as being "brassy, rough, tarty and tough-as-old-boots" by media entertainment website ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

''. Henry, who had appeared in the serial during the early 1990s as prostitute Lorraine Salter, said: "I'm thrilled to be joining ''EastEnders''. I'm both nervous and excited as I've watched it for many years". Created as an extension of the established Wicks family, Shirley's arrival was welcomed by her son, Deano. Di Angelo deemed his character "very fond" of his mother, keen to forge a relationship with her, and attributed Deano's childish characterisation to her absence during his formative years. Other relatives were less enthused by her arrival: Shirley developed a rivalry with Wicks matriarch Pat (

Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a gu ...

), which culminated in a physical fight and their arrest in April 2007. ''Digital Spy'' Dek Hogan highlighted a similarity between the two, and commented prior to their fight that Shirley was "''so'' like Pat was when she first arrived it's frightening." A friendship developed between Shirley and local businessman

in 2008, as she underwent a breast-cancer scare. Reluctant to seek medical help, Shirley admitted to Phil that she was afraid, and he responded with "genuine kindness". Their friendship developed into romance, and Shirley was later able to save him from an addiction to crack cocaine, which Henry felt reflected the strength of their relationship. Although Shirley was wounded to discover he had been unfaithful to her, Henry explained that, regardless of the tough façade her character projected, she still loved him. She characterised Shirley as "a strong, proud woman howouldn't stay with someone for he wrongreasons", and suggested they could survive the affair: "It will need effort to make it work and they'll never have the perfect relationship, but neither Phil nor Shirley would want a completely quiet life."

Reception

Accolades

Henry has been nominated for several television awards for her portrayal of Shirley. She and Fergison were nominated in the Best On-Screen Partnership category at the 2008

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...

, and ''Digital Spy'' Soap Awards, and for Best Double Act at the 2009 ''

TV Times ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, which ...

'' Awards. Henry was shortlisted in the Best Soap Actress category at the 2009 ''

TV Quick ''TV Quick'' was a British weekly television listing magazine published by H Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group. It featured weekly television listings running from Saturday to Friday, and began pub ...

'' and ''

TV Choice ''TV Choice'' is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group.''Inside Soap'' Awards, Shirley was nominated in the Best Bitch category. Henry was also shortlisted in the 'Best Actress' category at the 2012 ''Inside Soap'' Awards.

Critical response

Early in Shirley's tenure, Hogan advised viewers to "rejoice in erwonderful nastiness". He found her an "unpleasant" addition to the series, and though he commended Henry's portrayal, he hoped to see more possibility of redemption for Shirley, as "It's difficult to buy into a character that comes across as unremittingly unpleasant." Hogan called her "the most convincing drunk" in the programme for twenty years, but noted, "that really doesn't make her any less annoying and her scenes are a pain in the neck to sit through." Kate White of ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

'' praised the friendship between Shirley and

Jean Slater Jean Slater (also Walters) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduce ...

(

Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 5 May 1960) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won a number of awards. She was a teacher and theatre directo ...

), "We love, love, love the genius pairing of Jean and Shirley. With Heather [Trott, played by

] having been brown bread [dead] for over a year, it's time Shirley got a new BFF – and we reckon zany Jean is perfect." In the British media she has been referred to as "Shirley Terrahawk" due to her resemblance to a character from the ''

Terrahawks ''Gerry Anderson & Christopher Burr's Terrahawks'', usually referred to simply as ''Terrahawks'', is a 1980s British science fiction television series produced by Anderson Burr Pictures for London Weekend Television and created by the product ...

''. Jim Shelly once branded her the "human Terrahawk" in the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' and "an alcoholic Terrahawk" in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. John McKie from the '' Daily Record'' said that Phil getting together with "Shirley the Terrahawk" was grotesque. Kevin O'Sullivan from the ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' said that "Shirley Terrahawk went into theatrical meltdown" after Heather died; adding that it was "hilarious overacting" on Henry's part.

References

External links

*
Shirley Carter
at ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compe ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Shirley Fictional criminals in soap operas Fictional bartenders Television characters introduced in 2006 Female characters in television Carter family (EastEnders) Fictional teenage parents Fictional prisoners and detainees Fictional gangsters Fictional henchmen