BBC EastEnders Linda Carter’s real life from Hollywood star husband to IVF baby battle

Warning: this article references storylines some readers may find distressing

The residents of Albert Square have been left shaken by the return of EastEnders villain Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), and none more so than Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Back in 2014, viewers were left horrified after Dean raped Linda, with the harrowing storyline depicting the devastating toll the attack took on the usually bubbly businesswoman.

Evil Dean left Walford in 2016, after managing to evade justice for his crimes, but fans of the show have long hoped he’d still get his comeuppance one way or another. Now, nearly ten years on from her ordeal, Linda has had to deal with Dean walking straight into the same kitchen where the attack took place, during what should have been a fun Halloween party for Queen Vic regulars.

As Linda deals with coming face to face with her past horrors, we take a look at actor Kellie’s life away from set, including her marriage to a Hollywood star and IVF journey.

Marriage to Hollywood star

Kellie, originally from Brentwood, Essex, is married to fellow actor Paul Stocker, who has also enjoyed plenty of notable success in his career. As well as parts in EastEnders, Doctors, and Casualty, Paul also appeared in the critically acclaimed 2017 war drama Atonement, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and Saoirse Ronan.

Paul’s impressive CV also boasts a role in the BAFTA award-winning Mark of Cain (2007), plus parts in various stage productions, including Two Noble Kinsmen, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Six Degrees of Separation. Indeed, it was theatre that brought Paul and Kellie together, with the couple first locking eyes while starring in a play together.

At the time of their first meeting, Kellie was 31 while Paul was just 24, and she was initially worried that their age gap may prove to be a problem. As Kellie, now 47, explained to OK! magazine: “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 that he would resent me.”

They eventually managed to work things out, however, and, in 2014, tied the knot in a “secret, intimate ceremony'” held in Trelill, Cornwall, attended by fellow EastEnders stars Danny Dyer, Maddy Hill, and Sam Strike. A source told the Mirror at the time: “Kellie is thrilled to finally marry her long-term partner. A group of EastEnders cast and crew were in attendance, including members of the Carter family, who she is very close to.”