EastEnders actor Kellie Bright is to leave the BBC soap after 13 years playing Linda Carter, one of the show's central matriarchal characters. She joined Albert Square in 2013 alongside on-screen husband Mick, played by Danny Dyer, when the couple took over the Queen Vic pub, and the role has since anchored major storylines covering murder, sexual assault and alcoholism.

Bright said she made the "tough decision" to leave more than a year ago but stayed on to complete an "exciting storyline", with the BBC promising "unmissable drama" before her exit, which remains some way off. Memorable plots include a 2014 rape storyline watched by over 7 million viewers, her character's grief after Mick's disappearance at sea in 2022, and the 2023 Christmas Day episode in which Linda killed Keanu Taylor to protect Sharon Watts. Executive producer Ben Wadey called Bright "the beating heart of EastEnders", while Bright said she was looking forward to spending more time with her husband and three sons.