EastEnders releases new trailer for Whitney Dean exit

EastEnders has released a new trailer teasing Whitney Dean's upcoming exit from Walford.

It was announced last year that Shona McGarty would be bowing out of her role as Whitney after 16 years on the BBC soap, with her final scenes set to air in the next few weeks.

In a new teaser shared by the soap's official Instagram account, Whitney can be seen watching key moments from her previous storylines – including the abuse she suffered at the hands of Tony King and her doomed wedding to Callum Highway – play out on a screen.

BBC

The clip concludes by questioning if the character will "finally get her happy ever after", or if more heartbreak lies ahead.

It looks like we could find out next week, as the soap has lined up some dramatic new scenes for Whitney.

View full post on Instagram

After Lauren shares her doubts about Zack with Whitney – who's still unaware that Zack cheated on her with Lauren – Penny tries to smooth things over between them by locking them in the taco van.

However, just as Lauren is about to come clean, Whitney unexpectedly goes into labour…and their cries for help go unheard.

lauren branning, whitney dean, eastenders

BBC

Previously explaining her decision to leave EastEnders, McGarty said: "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."

The actor's hopes to branch out have come to fruition as she was recently cast as Jenny in 2:22: A Ghost Story during its run in Dublin, joining Once Upon a Time's Colin O'Donoghue, Love Island's Laura Whitmore and Strictly's Jay McGuiness.

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.