Kellie Bright has starred in EastEnders for almost a decade but she looks set to be leaving Walford for good after last night's episode.
Any viewers who may have had last minute hopes of a reunion between Linda and Mick Carter would have seen them dashed once and for all as Kellie's character agreed to take love rival Janine Butcher's bumper cash offer to exit Albert Square once and for all.
Savvy Linda told jealous Janine she'd have to double the money on the table in order for her to move aside, asking for £50,000 to get out of Mick's life forever.
Janine came up with the goods after a brutal scam to take the cash off Linda and Mick's daughter Nancy, and scheming Janine told Linda she'd have the money as long as she leaves today.
Linda, who has had some rocky times on the show thanks to her relationship with Danny Dyer's Mick, from alcoholism to being falsely accused of attempted murder, now appears to be on her way out of the soap.
And fans are now questioning whether the 45-year-old star really is preparing to exit the show, like co-star Dyer.
But unlike her character, it would seem that Kellie's life off-air hasn't been quite as rough as that of Linda's.
From her actor husband to nearly giving birth in a car, the Mirror has taken a look at Kellie's family life away from Albert Square.
Family
Kellie has an idyllic home life with her three sons, Freddy, Rudy and Gene, with husband Paul Stocker.
She was born to parents Alan and Denise Bright on July 1, 1976, in Brentwood, England.
Prior to her acting stint in EastEnders, Kellie worked as a waitress, receptionist, and shop assistant. She is also known for playing roles in 1990s sitcom The Upper Hand, Ali G Indahouse (2002) and Xenoblade Chronicles (2010).
Kellie originally auditioned for the role of Tanya Branning on EastEnders, but she was beaten by Jo Joyner. Kellie would then go on to win the role of Linda Carter on the soap seven years later.
Her part as the iconic landlady led her to win the British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance in 2015.
Actor husband
Kellie's husband paul may be familiar to viewers.
He has starred in a variety of British TV stints over the years - including a very brief cameo as a police officer in Walford during some of the soap's most iconic scenes.
Proud Kellie tweeted the news, urging fans to watch out for her other half as he grilled Bobby Beale over the killing of his sister Lucy, which was the main storyline on the soap at the time.
He also had a role in Keira Knightley and James McCavoy flick Atonement, as well as in two other British soaps, Casualty and Doctors.
Things haven't always been smooth sailing for the acting couple, as their seven-year age gap has caused some strain and once led to a temporary split.
In an interview with OK! magazine, Kellie said there was a time when their relationship was quite rocky.
She added: "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 they reunited and the pair tied the knot in 2014, in the tiny hamlet of Trelill, Cornwall at a star-studded bash.
Three sons
Kellie and Paul are proud parents of three sons - Freddy, 9, Gene, 4, and Rudy, who was born last year.
Her first son, Freddie, was conceived naturally and was born in December 2011. Gene came along on November 21, 2016 through IVF. Following the birth of Gene, the duo froze three embryos.
Kellie later announced she was carrying her third child, Rudy, who she gave birth to in September 2021.
In an previous interview with the Mirror, the EastEnders actress said: "I very much have the philosophy that because of the way we’ve had our children – going through IVF and the frozen embryo transfer – they are really meant to be here.
"Rudy is no exception and if anything I feel it more so with him because of his journey to get here. He was the last remaining embryo and the one that made it. For whatever reason, I’m meant to bring up boys."
Kellie also revealed Rudy will be her last baby.
"I do feel very lucky I’ve got to experience it again. But now, 100%, I feel the family is complete," she said.
Almost giving birth in a car
Kellie says her second son Gene was almost born in a car as revealed she wasn’t expecting her labour to happen as quickly as it did.
She had woken up early in the morning due to labour pains and when she got into the car to travel to the hospital she started to think the baby could arrive very soon.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Kellie said: “I was so uncomfortable sitting in the seating the contractions were coming quite quickly at the point. But of course it was school run time so we got stuck in traffic.
“When we arrived at the hospital, a midwife could see I was in established labour - about 5cm dilated - so she took me straight to a delivery room."
She added: "About 20 minutes after our arrival at 9am, my waters broke and the midwife said I was much further along than she thought.”
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