EastEnders or Bad Girls? Linda Henry has played some of the fieriest female characters in British TV history (including the infamous Shirley Carter), but how much do you know about the Albert Square legend?
Linda Henry has kicked arse on our screens since 1982, but it was only in the late nineties that we really got to see her cause murder as Yvonne Atkins on ITV’S Bad Girls. Her explosive personality has made her a fan favourite as Shirley Carter on EastEnders, but how much do you really know about the REAL Linda Henry? Is she as fiery in real life as she in on-screen? Has any man ever managed to tame her? We’ve rounded up everything you could ever want to know about TV’s ultimate bad girl…
What’s Linda Henry known for?
Linda first skimmed onto our screens in 1982 (you can spot her at a party scene in The Young Ones) but didn’t make herself a household name until she appeared in Bad Girls in 1999. Her portrayal of Yvonne Atkins was critically acclaimed, and landed her the number 1 spot in Bad Girls Most Wanted- a viewer voted countdown of the top ten most wanted prisoners. She has since graced our screens as Shirley Carter on EastEnders, playing an equally fiery if somewhat less murdery character. Described as a ‘new icon’ of the show by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, her sassy personality has made her a fan favourite of the classic British soap.
What else has Linda Henry starred in?
You might have spotted Linda Henry in The Bill if you’ve binged some of the 1990’s archived, she played Anne Riley for two episodes in 1993-1995. She has also popped up in A Touch of frost, Trial & Retribution and Birds of a Feather. Her most notable performance outside British soaps was as Sandra Gangel in the 1996 film Beautiful Thing.
But if you refuse to watch Linda as anything other than QUEEN Shirley Carter you’re in luck, as she was one of several EastEnders favourites to appear in internet spin off EastEnders: E20 in 2010. The series follows teenage characters and are available to watch on EastEnders official website, although they are only 3-16 minutes long
How old is Linda Henry?
Linda was a new year baby, born on the 1st of January 1963, making her 54 years old at the time of writing.
Where is Linda Henry from?
She was brought up in Peckham and currently resides in South London. She acted with the "Old Vic Youth Theatre" and was in the same acting group as Rowan Atkinson in Edinburgh when she was 16. One year on, she started at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in Kensington- which was one of the leading drama schools in Britain boasting alumni such as Natalie Dormer and Hugh Bonneville.
Who is Linda Henry's husband?
Yes! Linda married Stavros Virilis in 1992. The couple have one daughter, Ellie Louisa Valiris, in January 1993.
Has Linda Henry ever been arrested?
The biggest controversy of Linda’s career was in 2014, when she was arrested for racially aggravated harassment. She stood trial in February 2015, with the prosecutor accusing Linda of shouting racist abuse at black female warden who had attempted to give her a fixed penalty notice for throwing a cigarette on the floor. Linda plead not guilty to the offence and was later cleared.
Are Linda Henry and Cheryl Fergison BFF's in real life?
EastEnders’ fans, aka everyone ever, will be super happy to know Shirley and Heather Trott’s on-screen friendship is actually real! The pair are BFF’s off-screen, with Heather showing up to support Linda during her court case.
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Does Linda Henry have any social media?
No But if you’re a super fan, you can send her some fan mail to her talent agency CAM (CAM, 55-59 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6LD). That means using a pen and paper, you know like the good old days?
Any other fun facts?
She originally starred in EastEnders as Lorraine Salter in 1991, playing the mother of a teenage tearaway Mandy Salter. She only played the character for a year, and then returned to EastEnders as Shirley in 2006, with Victoria Alcock taking over the role of Lorraine in 2012.
She had a minor role in British crime thriller, The Business, alongside another EastEnders’ fan favourite, Danny Dyer.
She was ranked number 89 on the Top 100 EastEnders Characters of all Time.
Linda Henry as Shirley Carter: Her best moments on EastEnders
In one the greatest feuds of EastEnders history (and there’s been like 1902398402) Shirley and Pat come to blows…
Linda Henry on Bad Girls: Yvonne Atkins' best moments
Check out the character that had Linda voted the number one most wanted Bad Girl…
What did Linda Henry look like when she was younger?
Her former EastEnders producer put it best:
We think she kinda rocks it...
What's your favourite Linda Henry moment? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
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