EastEnders fans have begged for iconic character Whitney Dean to return just hours after she made an emotional farewell to Albert Square on Thursday.

As the new mother, played by Shona McGarty, sobbed during her final scenes, fans were left ‘crying’ as they struggled to watch the actress leave the square for good.

TV buffs dubbed her exit as an ‘end of an era’ for the BBC One soap as Shona, 32, made the decision to quit last year to ‘explore other opportunities’.

Whitney made her debut in 2008, aged 16, and has been at the centre of multiple explosive storylines over the last 16 years.

But her most recent, potentially her last, was the most heartbreaking so far.

EastEnders fans have begged for iconic character Whitney Dean to return just hours after she made an emotional farewell to Albert Square on Thursday as ‘sobbing’ viewers dubbed it an ‘end of an era’

As the new mother, played by Shona McGarty, sobbed during her final scenes, fans were left ‘crying’ as they struggled to watch the actress leave the square for good 

Recent episodes saw Whitney’s partner and father to her newborn Dolly, Zack Hudson, break her heart after he cheated with childhood pal Lauren Branning.

Unable to cope with the betrayal, Whitney decided it was her time to say goodbye to her home in Walford and move to Wakefield to be closer to her brother, Ryan Malloy.

The new mother’s big plans were initially overwhelming, but she felt reassured when her adoptive mother, Bianca, offered to join her.

This plan soon crashed and burned as Whitney felt betrayed once more when she learned Bianca knew all along about Zack and Lauren’s secret and didn’t tell her.

Whitney refused to let Bianca join her and decided to leave alone with Dolly and her foster child, Britney Wainwright.

Before jumping on the bus to escape the heartache and suffering, Whitney attempted closure by meetingwith Zack and Lauren separately.

After an emotional final goodbye at her leaving do in the Vic, residents walked Whitney to her bus stop and soap extras gave her a hug and kiss on the way.

Whitney held her head high and quietly sobbed as she made her way through the square for the final time – a scene so emotional that fans at home were reduced to tears and begged for her return in the future.

Recent episodes saw Whitney’s partner and father to her newborn Dolly, Zack Hudson, break her heart after he cheated with childhood pal Lauren Branning

Unable to cope with the betrayal, Whitney decided it was her time to say goodbye to her home in Watford and move to Wakefield to be closer to her brother, Ryan Malloy

The new mother’s big plans were initially overwhelming, but she felt reassured when her adoptive mother, Bianca, offered to join her

This plan soon crashed and burned as Whitney felt betrayed once more when she learned Bianca knew all along about Zack and Lauren’s (pictured) secret and didn’t tell her

Unable to see past her part in the scandal, Whitney refused to let Bianca join her and decided to leave alone with Dolly and her foster child, Britney Wainwright

Fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their devastation and heartbreak. They dubbed her exit the end of an era and ‘bawled their eyes out’.

One penned: ‘Didn’t think I would cry this much over Whitney leaving #eastenders’

‘Goodbye Whitney, your days of suffering are finally over. Eastenders didn’t have to make me cry though.’

‘Well it’s definitely an end of an era for Whitney on I was absolutely bawling my eyes out at end of tonight’s Eastenders as the beautiful Whitney left all the best for the future u will be sadly missed Lots of love beautiful’

‘End of an era. What a lovely, touching, moving and nice way too end her stint in Albert Square. Whitney Dean will be missed. At least the doors being left open if she ever returns in the future. # Eastenders’

‘ I’m Gonna Miss Whitney So Much Been Watching Since I Was A Kid Hope To See Her Return Sometime In The Future Soon #whitneydean #eastenders @bbceastenders @ShonaBM Tough Truth. @Toughtruth’

‘Nice exit scene for Whitney tonight. I’ll miss @ShonaBM I hope there will be a time for a return for Whitney I hope it’s not the last we see of her. Good luck to Shona on your next project. And I like Whitney got Julia’s theme for her departure. # EastEnders’

‘At least Whitney can return in the future!! Although she is one of the main reasons I have watched EastEnders for so long’

Fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their devastation and heartbreak. They dubbed her exit the end of an era and ‘bawled their eyes out’

‘I wish they braught (sic) back Tiffany for Whitney’s exit. Such a wasted opportunity in not bringing her back especially as she arrived in Walford with her 16 years ago Hopefully Whitney will return when Dolly is much older. Or Zack brings Dolly back to Walford for a bit #EastEnders’

And devastated fans could have their wish come true.

Ahead of the final scenes, Shona took to Instagram with a teary clip and confessed it was her decision to leave but teased that the door is ‘wide open’ for a possible return.

Barely holding back her tears, she revealed it was ‘a tough old paper round’ and she will not be watching her final episode until her partner David Bracken is back home.

In the emotional clip she said: ‘It was my decision and I just want to say thanks. Thanks for everything.’

‘Thank you all. 16 years is a long time. It’s been a tough old paper and I have loved every single minute of it and who knows, the door is wide open and whitney could come back in her high heels and really big earrings one day,’ she added.

Shona recently revealed that it was a ‘really difficult’ decision to leave the soap, but has decided she wants to explore ‘other opportunities’ before she is ‘too old’. 

She told The Sun: ‘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. 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. 

And devastated fans could have their wish come true. Ahead of the final scenes, Shona took to Instagram with a teary clip

She confessed it was her decision to leave but teased that the door is ‘wide open’ for a possible return. Barely holding back her tears, she revealed it was ‘a tough old paper round’

Shona recently revealed that it was a ‘really difficult’ decision to leave the soap, but has decided she wants to explore ‘other opportunities’ before she is ‘too old’ 

Shona has now revealed that it was a ‘really difficult’ decision to leave the soap but has decided she wants to explore ‘other opportunities’ before she is ‘too old’

The actress, 32, who joined the soap at the age of 16 in 2008 portraying the iconic Whitney Dean, revealed that she would be quitting in July after portraying the long-running character for 16 years (pictured in 2008)

‘So although it was a big decision, once I’d made it, I was quite resolute that this was something I had to do. I mean, 16 years is amazing. I’ve had a really good run and Whitney needs a break.’ 

The BBC star filmed her final scenes in April and was greeted by fans outside Elstree Studios as she headed home. 

Shona added: ‘I’m not gonna lie, I feel like it’s a kind of grief and I didn’t think I’d be so emotional. But seeing all the fans who had these messages and cards was just beautiful and, although I tried to keep it together, I actually fell to pieces’. 

She was seen flashing a smile as she drove home from work and stopped at the gate to pose for selfies with fans who had gathered outside. 

The soap star took her time to leave video messages as she signed autographs and chatted with the crowd. 

Shona’s car was filled with flowers, cards and presents from her co-stars as she departed the studio for the last time. 

Shona’s character Whitney, arrived back Walford in 2008 as the adopted daughter of Bianca Jackson (played by Patsy Palmer).

She has been at the heart of countless hard-hitting story lines, including grooming, sexual abuse, baby loss, kidnap, stalking and illicit affairs.

Whitney has been given a dramatic send off which follows a shocking pregnancy storyline. 

She said: ‘It was a really difficult decision, because it’s all I’ve ever known. 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’ (pictured 2022)

Shona added: ‘I’m not gonna lie, I feel like it’s a kind of grief and I didn’t think I’d be so emotional’ (pictured 2022)

Shona’s character Whitney, arrived back Walford in 2008 as the adopted daughter of Bianca Jackson (played by Patsy Palmer left) In 2020 she killed deranged Leo King for the soap’s 35th anniversary (pictured in 2008)

The character and her partner Zack (played by James Farrar) have been trying to have a baby for a long time. 

She previously terminated a pregnancy after finding out her little girl suffered from Edwards’ Syndrome, which meant her baby would not have survived long after being born. 

Whitney was left completely devastated by the loss and swore she would never try and have a biological child again and so she and Zack put themselves forward for foster care. 

The couple ended up looking after a young boy Ashton over the Christmas period however, he soon got adopted leaving the couple more alone than ever. 

In 2008 Whitney was groomed and abused by her onscreen mum’s partner and in 2020 she killed deranged Leo King for the soap’s 35th anniversary. 

It is unknown what the actress is going to do next but she revealed she only had one week off after filming her final episode before starting a new top-secret project. 

However, it is likely Shona will do something with music as she regularly posts videos of her singing to social media. 

In 2012, she performed on Children in Need singing Sm Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come.

She has also been part of a number of hard hitting story lines including grooming, sexual abuse, baby loss, kidnap, stalking and illicit affairs (pictured with partner Zack Hudson, played by James Farrar)

She released a charity song for Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2018 and covered The Beatles’ Let It Be in 2021 for the ­charity Mind.

In 2022, Shona sang at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall for BBC1.

She added that ‘singing is her first love’ and revealed she has already ‘written lots of songs’ and would love to release an album one day.