EastEnders: Where is Shirley Carter? Will she follow son Dean Wicks back to Walford?

shirley Carter’s been missing from EastEnders since just after her son Mick’s tragic death at the end of last year.

Struggling to cope with the loss of Mick, and her sister’s Tina’s brutal death at the hands of Gray Atkins, Shirl couldn’t handle staying in Walford.

She went off with her beloved pooch Lady Di to see daughter Carly.

Except we – and Linda, her daughter-in-law, found out accidentally that Shirley had also rebuilt her relationship with her other son, Dean Wicks.

The man who raped Linda.

Now Dean’s back in Walford – much to Linda’s horror. In last night’s episode he showed up in the kitchen at The Queen Vic.

And he had some very disturbing news about our Shirl.

Where has Shirley been?

Shirley’s been staying with Carly Wicks, her daughter. She and Carly had a very fractured relationship for a long time.

When Carly had her son, Jimmy (named after Shirley’s late son Jimbo, who passed away from cystic fibrosis), she didn’t want to see her mum.

But after Shirley’s best friend Heather was murdered by Ben Mitchell, Carly and Shirley managed to put their differences aside

Shirley spent time with her daughter and new grandchild and they began to build some bridges.

The last we all knew, Carly and Shirley were getting on. It was Carly who sent Linda the photograph of Shirley back in February – during the episode that ended with the flash forward to Christmas 2023.

The photo accidentally showed Dean was there with his mum, which upset Linda a lot – not surprisingly – as Shirl had stood by her after Dean raped her.

What did Dean say about Shirley in EastEnders?

We have to admit, we don’t trust anything Dean Wicks says, quite frankly.

But in their tense kitchen confrontation, he and Linda talked about Shirley.

Dean told Linda that his daughter Jade is sick and that’s why he is back in Walford. When Linda didn’t believe him, he urged her to call Shirley to check.

And then he added: “She’s talking again now.”

WHAT?

Dean went on to explain that Shirley had a breakdown after losing Tina and Mick.

“Stress does physical damage,” he said. “It actually broke her heart.”

And then he pointed the finger at Linda, saying that when she decided to freeze Shirley out, after spotting Dean in the picture, it hurt Shirley even more.

“The second time she was released from the psych ward, Carly washed her hands of her,” Dean added. “Someone had to step up.”

And that someone, according to him, was Dean.

But when Linda asked what Shirley’s actual diagnosis was, Dean was evasive. Is he telling the truth about his mum?

Is Shirley leaving EastEnders?

When Shirley left the show earlier this year, we understood actress Linda Henry was not going for good, but stepping away for a while.

And producer Chris Clenshaw has confirmed to Radio Times that Shirley will be back – we just don’t know when!

“When she walked off with Lady Di last year, in the wake of Mick’s disappearance, it won’t have been the last you see of her. I can say that for sure,” he teased.

And the fans definitely want her back! They took to social media after Dean’s return to beg for Shirl to come back to Walford too.

“Intrigued by what was said about Shirley in today’s ep… can’t wait for her return,” said one. Another shouted: “BRING BACK SHIRLEY!!”

So will she be back in Albert Square soon? Only time will tell!