Shona McGarty reveals she was in court on the day she auditioned for EastEnders after being mugged and attacked

Shona McGarty has revealed she was in court on the day she auditioned for EastEnders.

The soap star, 34, joined the soap in 2008 at the age of 16, portraying the iconic Whitney Dean.

In 2024, she revealed that she would be quitting Walford after portraying the long-running character for 16 years.

Recalling her audition for EastEnders, Shona revealed she had to attend court because she had been mugged and attacked. 

The actress opened up about the terrifying experience on Peter and Abbey Crouch’s podcast, The Therapy Crouch, on Wednesday.

‘It was my dream to be in EastEnders,’ she said.

 

Shona went on to explain that after attending a local drama school, she was offered the audition through her agent.

The star continued: ‘I got an audition and I couldn’t believe it.

‘And the day of the audition I was in court… I got mugged at a train station. I was beaten up really badly.’

‘So we’re in court and then I went for an audition and got it, [it was] really weird.’

While Shona did not go into detail about the mugging, she went on to say that EastEnders ‘really changed my life.’

Shona left EastEnders to be able to pursue other ventures. 

A spokesperson for soap told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘Shona is leaving, and bosses have decided to write the character of Karen out. We’re not adding anything further at this stage.’

Over the years, her character had been involved in a number of hard-hitting storylines, including being groomed by her mum Bianca’s boyfriend, her marriage to Lee Carter and her unborn baby being diagnosed with Edward’s Syndrome.

 

 

In April 2024, she filmed her final scenes as her iconic alter-ego and later revealed the real reason why she quit.

She told The Sun: ‘It was a really difficult decision, because it’s all I’ve ever known. 

‘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!’

Last year, Shona placed third in the latest series of I’m A Celebrity, behind AngryGinge and Tom Read Wilson respectively.

During her time in the jungle, romance rumours surrounded Shona and her co-star, rapper Aitch (real name Harrison Armstrong).

Shona addressed the rumours after joining Fleur East, Will Best and James Barr on the Hits Radio Breakfast Show on Tuesday, where she reflected on her time in the jungle and set the record straight on any blossoming romance.

She shared: ‘I came out, and apparently me and Aitch were in a relationship…

‘He’s great, still my little brother! He’s so fun to be around, he’s just hyper, and he matched my level of hyper.

‘He hasn’t been round for karaoke yet, but it’s on the cards.’

Elsewhere, Shona also opened up about what her mental health had been like prior to entering the jungle last month.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘Before I came in here, I couldn’t even sit on the toilet without scrolling on TikTok. You know?

‘I don’t remember the last time I had a real deep conversation with my mom and dad. Because you’re just constantly replying to emails or scrolling or WhatsApp.’

Before entering the jungle, Shona said that poor mental health had been having a significant impact on her life, but she had reached a place where she no longer wanted ‘to let the anxiety win.’

Shona, who was open about her struggles with anxiety on the show, is now encouraging others to put their phones away after being helped by her experience in the jungle.

The actress-turned-reality-star advised: ‘For anyone struggling with anxiety, I would honestly recommend putting your phone away.

‘Go somewhere with someone that you love dearly, whether it be a family member or partner [and have] no distractions.

‘Eat food that makes you happy, don’t drink alcohol, no stimulus, no caffeine, nothing like that. Cut the sugar out, and I promise you, in a couple of weeks’ time you’ll feel completely present.

‘For me, [this] was a real part of the therapy in [the jungle] and I really recommend it for anyone. Maybe not the jungle [though].’

Opening up further about how the experience changed her for the better, she said being ‘completely present’ with her campmates helped her make ‘friends for life’.

She said: ‘I had a few bad days in there. But it was very easily sorted because I spoke to my campmates who, you know, who were very open with me.

‘They wanted to understand about anxiety and they just just got me through it.’