Is there any chance she’ll return?
EastEnders fans are growing disheartened after waiting three years for Shirley Carter’s return to the soap, and many have now lost hope.
Fans originally believed that Linda Henry was simply taking a break from the show and would return, but now doubts are creeping in.
With viewers eager for Shirley’s comeback to the Square, many are now starting to accept that it may never happen.

Shirley Carter and her exit from EastEnders
Shirley Carter, portrayed by Linda Henry, has become an iconic character on EastEnders. Fans were heartbroken when she left the soap three years ago in 2022.
Following Mick Carter’s ‘death,’ Shirley decided she needed a fresh start and left Walford with Lady Di to stay with Carly.
Despite her exit, the show continued to reference Shirley’s character, with Dean Wicks returning in 2023 and mentioning his mother.
It was revealed that Shirley had reconnected with Dean and was struggling to cope with the deaths of Mick and Tina. Dean shared that she had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, but since then, viewers have received no further updates.
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EastEnders fans lose hope of Shirley ever returning to the soap
With several years having passed since Shirley was last seen on-screen, fans have begun to believe that she may never return to Walford.
One Reddit user commented: “I’m convinced she’s not coming back anymore. She’s been gone for 3 years, and we’ve had no updates. Chris had said she’d return soon, but now he’s leaving, and there’s still no information. The last we heard, she was sent to a hospital after a breakdown and couldn’t speak (understandably, after everything she went through), so yeah, I’m convinced her exit is permanent. This is the longest break any EE character has taken, with Phil coming in second.”
Another fan added: “She’s never coming back, but she definitely deserved a better send-off if that was truly it.”
A third person responded: “If she returns, it’ll be years from now, maybe for Mick’s return. I don’t know. Also, I absolutely think Dean was lying and may have blackmailed her or something. He lied to Linda to keep her from reaching out.”
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