EastEnders’ Kellie Bright has been at the heart of the action in Walford as her character Linda Carter has been left fearing for her life after Keanu Taylor’s murder last Christmas

Linda Carter has been going through a tumultuous period in a dramatic EastEnders plot.

The former Queen Vic landlady has been experiencing a traumatic time in the Square recently. Linda, portrayed by Kellie Bright, is already dealing with her guilt over accidentally killing Keanu Taylor last year.

In an attempt to shield her best friend Sharon Watts, who was one of the main suspects in the police’s investigation for a while, Linda falsely implicated Dean and placed him at the crime scene. This long-running storyline has now reached its climax as Linda turns to alcohol once again.

However, off-screen, life is much more serene for actress Kellie. The soap siren first gained recognition as a teenage actress in the popular sitcom, The Upper Hand, and quickly won over viewers when she joined the cast of EastEnders in 2013.

Her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, where she was paired with Kevin Clifton and made it to the final, earned her a whole new fanbase, reports the Mirror.

Kellie has been blissfully wedded to her husband for a decade and has candidly discussed her real-life romance with her younger spouse, who also happens to be a Hollywood actor.

Despite her own fame, the actress has shared screen space with her husband Paul Stocker, both enjoying successful acting careers. Kellie’s husband Paul is seven years her junior, and the couple have even appeared together on EastEnders. The duo first crossed paths when Kellie was 31 and Paul was 24, eventually tying the knot in 2014.

They welcomed their first child together in August 2021 and are now proud parents of three children. Fans had the chance to see Paul in an episode of the BBC soap in 2021.

Kellie Bright joined EastEnders in 2013(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

The episode featured Linda, portrayed by Kellie, facing an attack during a robbery at the Queen Vic. As it was shot amidst the coronavirus crisis with strict social distancing regulations in effect, close contact with fellow actors was a no-go for Kellie.

Nevertheless, the soap found a clever workaround by roping in Paul which allowed for the physical interactions between Kellie’s character and the on-screen thug to be filmed without breaking health guidelines.

Kellie married Paul Stocker in 2014(Image: ITV)

Kellie candidly revealed to OK! Magazine in 2016 about a time she and her hubby had a brief split before becoming parents, owing to their age difference: “Reality kicked in. I was 31 and wanted to have kids, and Paul was 24 and didn’t at the time. I felt it wasn’t fair on Paul I worried he’d resent me.”

But their split didn’t stick, and before long the pair were back together. She confessed: “After a bit of head space, I realised I was cutting my nose to spite my face. I thought what are you doing? Take your foot off the gas.”

Paul’s journey into the limelight has been one marked with success, first catching public attention in 2007 for his role as a soldier in the film ‘Atonement’, featuring stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

Paul was in EastEnders with Kellie(Image: BBC)

He stormed onto the scene again in 2016 when he played DS Howard South on ‘EastEnders,’ grilling Bobby Beale after the lad attacked his adoptive mum Jane. In the same year, Paul depicted a Guard Soldier in the BAFTA-claimed flick ‘Mark of Cain.

Off screen, Paul has graced the stage in esteemed plays such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Mr. Thompson, and Six Degrees of Separation.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am