Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in EastEnders, as she previously played prostitute Lorraine Salter (1991–1992). Henry took a break from the show on 7 September 2012, before returning on 3 December 2012. On 29 December 2022, Henry took an extended break from the show, with Shirley set to return at some point in the future.
Shirley is one of several EastEnders characters to appear in the internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20. Some of her storylines have included trying and failing to rebuild relationships with her children Carly (Kellie Shirley) and Deano (Matt Di Angelo), a friendship with Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison), a volatile relationship with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), the introduction of her son Mick (Danny Dyer), who at first was believed to be her brother and his family, an affair with Phil despite him being in a relationship with Sharon Rickman (Letitia Dean), accidentally shooting Phil, a feud with Mick over her refusal to believe that Dean has raped Mick’s wife Linda (Kellie Bright), a custody battle with Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar) over her and Dean’s daughter Jade Green (Amaya Edward), a feud with Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ), discovering that her sister Tina (Luisa Bradshaw-White) has been murdered by Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), vowing revenge on Phil for framing Tina for Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) attack which led her to Gray's violence, and grieving Mick when he is presumed dead at sea.
Former EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has described her as a "new icon" of the show.
Development
Shirley's creation was announced in September 2006, at which time she was described as being "brassy, rough, tarty and tough-as-old-boots" by media entertainment website Digital Spy. Henry, who had appeared in the serial during the early 1990s as prostitute Lorraine Salter, said: "I'm thrilled to be joining EastEnders. I'm both nervous and excited as I've watched it for many years". Created as an extension of the established Wicks family, Shirley's arrival was welcomed by her son, Deano. Di Angelo deemed his character "very fond" of his mother, keen to forge a relationship with her, and attributed Deano's childish characterisation to her absence during his formative years. Other relatives were less enthused by her arrival: Shirley developed a rivalry with Wicks matriarch Pat (Pam St Clement), which culminated in a physical fight and their arrest in April 2007. Digital Spy Dek Hogan highlighted a similarity between the two, and commented prior to their fight that Shirley was "so like Pat was when she first arrived it's frightening."
A friendship developed between Shirley and local businessman Phil Mitchell in 2008, as she underwent a breast-cancer scare. Reluctant to seek medical help, Shirley admitted to Phil that she was afraid, and he responded with "genuine kindness". Their friendship developed into romance, and Shirley was later able to save him from an addiction to crack cocaine, which Henry felt reflected the strength of their relationship. Although Shirley was wounded to discover he had been unfaithful to her, Henry explained that, regardless of the tough façade her character projected, she still loved him. She characterised Shirley as "a strong, proud woman [who] wouldn't stay with someone for [the wrong] reasons", and suggested they could survive the affair: "It will need effort to make it work and they'll never have the perfect relationship, but neither Phil nor Shirley would want a completely quiet life."