Shona McGarty, who plays Whitney Dean in EastEnders, had to miss her panto performance after falling ill
EastEnders actress Shona McGarty, known for her role as Whitney Dean in the popular BBC soap, was forced to pull out of her panto gig just hours before her scheduled performance. Shona was set to star as Belle in the production of Beauty and the Beast at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford.
The star took to Instagram to inform her fans of her unfortunate situation. She shared that she had been feeling unwell and was battling a bad cold, flu symptoms, and a sore throat. Shona managed to push through and perform in the show earlier in the day, but it was a challenging experience for her. She expressed her disappointment at the timing of her illness, especially during a panto run.
Shona apologized to those who were looking forward to seeing her in the performance and explained that she had to bow out of that night's show and possibly the following day's too. However, she remained optimistic and assured her fans that she would be back on stage soon. Shona revealed that she had received antibiotics and other medication from her doctor and was determined to recover quickly.
While Shona is taking time off to rest and recover, her understudy Laura will be stepping into the role of Belle. Shona praised Laura and assured fans that they would still be in for a fantastic performance.
This panto marks Shona's first gig away from EastEnders since it was announced that her character would be leaving the show. Her final scenes are set to air in 2024.
In an exclusive interview with The Celeb Report, Shona previously shared her decision to leave the long-running soap. She expressed gratitude for the incredible storylines she had been entrusted with and the friendships she had formed during her time on the show.
