Inside BBC EastEnders Linda Carter star Kellie Bright’s love life with famous husband
EastEnders' Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright, has recently relapsed into alcoholism and after being haunted by traumas of the past few years - including the disappearance of Mick Carter
EastEnders fan favourite Linda Carter has been going through a tumultuous time and recently relapsed into alcoholism.
The former Queen Vic landlady (Kellie Bright) has been experiencing a traumatic period in the Square recently and is still grappling with her guilt over accidentally killing Keanu Taylor last Christmas.
Linda shifted the blame onto Dean Wicks to shield her best mate Sharon Watts, who was one of the main suspects in the police investigation for a while, and implicated him at the crime scene. However, things have now reached a climax in this long-standing storyline with Linda spiralling out of control.
Kellie also garnered a host of new admirers when she competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, where she was paired with Kevin Clifton and made it to the final of the hit BBC programme, reports the Mirror.
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Kellie has been happily married to her husband Paul Stocker for 10 years and has spoken candidly about their age gap romance. Despite both being successful actors, the couple have worked together on screen before.
Kellie is seven years older than Paul. They first met when she was 31 and he was 24, and they tied the knot in 2014.
The couple 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 EastEnders in 2021.
The scene in question featured Linda, portrayed by Kellie, being assaulted amidst a robbery at the Queen Vic. Due to filming during the coronavirus pandemic and adhering to social distancing regulations, Kellie was unable to physically interact with her fellow actors.
To circumvent this, the show brought in Paul, Kellie’s real-life partner, to play one of the assailants, allowing for the necessary close-contact scenes. The couple, parents to Freddy, Gene, and Rudy, conceived through IVF, have had their share of challenges.
Kellie disclosed in a 2016 interview with OK! magazine about a past brief separation from Paul, attributing it to their age difference and contrasting views on starting a family. She explained: “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.”
Paul has since carved out a notable acting career. He first gained attention in 2007 with his role as a soldier in Atonement, starring alongside Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. His television credits include playing DS Howard South in EastEnders in 2016, where he interrogated Bobby Beale after Jane Beale’s assault.
Additionally, he appeared as a Guard Soldier in the BAFTA-winning Mark of Cain that same year. On stage, Paul has impressed audiences in roles such as Mr Thompson in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and in Six Degrees of Separation.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am
