I’M A CELEBRITY star Shona McGarty had a very intense day when she first auditioned for EastEnders.
played Whitney Dean on the for more than 15 years and was only 16 when she tried out for the role.
Shona McGarty was beaten up and mugged as a teenagerCredit: YouTube/The Therapy Crouch
She told the story on Abbey and Peter Crouch’s podcasCredit: YouTube/The Therapy Crouch
Shona told how she was in court over the incident just before her EastEnders auditionCredit: BBC
Shona recently competed on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
She recalled how immediately before her EastEnders audition she had to attend court because she’d been the victim of a very bad mugging.
The actress opened up about the terrifying experience on Peter and Abbey Crouch’s podcast, The Therapy Crouch.
“It was my dream to be in EastEnders,” Shona began and then described how after attending a local drama school, she got an agent and then was offered the audition.
“I got an audition and I couldn’t believe it.”
She continued: “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.”
Shona did not go into more detail about the mugging but explained how bagging the EastEnders gig “really changed my life.”
The actressafter 16 years playing Whitney to focus on her music career and pursue other acting ventures.
In October she released her debut single, which highlighted her powerhouse vocals.
She recently showed off her singing chops when she performed alongside star in his New Year’s Eve show on .
The line-up also included other huge names like and Callum Scott, and even featured a mini Boyzone reunion.
Just weeks after releasing the single, Shona travelled to Australia to compete on the 2025 series of
Shona won over plenty of new fans while in the Aussie jungle where she finished in third and even grew close to rapper Aitch, but insisted she saw him a little brother rather than a potential boyfriend.
She had previously been engaged to fellow musician David Bracken, but they revealed that they came to a mutual decision to last year.
The couple met through in 2023 and got engaged in 2024 on their first anniversary.
Though their love wasn’t meant to be, the former flames are said to have ended things on good terms, and David was .
Shona came third on I’m A CelebCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Shona was on EastEnders from 2008 to 2024Credit: BBC
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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