Shona McGarty Joins I'm a Celebrity 2025

Shona McGarty, the actress best known for portraying Whitney Dean on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, has joined the lineup for the 25th series of ITV's reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, scheduled to premiere in 2025. The 33-year-old London native will trade the familiar streets of Albert Square for the Australian jungle, where contestants face challenges and live in basic conditions while competing for public votes.

McGarty's participation marks her first major television appearance since departing EastEnders after 15 years on the show. She first joined the cast in 2008, stepping into the role of Whitney Dean, a complex character introduced as the foster daughter of Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer. Whitney's storyline began with her arrival in the fictional London neighborhood of Albert Square alongside Bianca and quickly became a central figure, dealing with themes of family dynamics, relationships, and personal struggles that resonated with viewers over the years.

Born in 1991, McGarty began her career in amateur theatre after attending Loreto College in St Albans. Her breakthrough came with EastEnders, where she developed Whitney into one of the...