[21] The Guardian's Aida Edemariam said of the beginning of the storyline: "what is most disturbing, watching [Tony and Whitney's] first scenes together, is not the sexuality of the situation per se, though that is uncomfortable - it's the subtle blackmail with which he keeps her in line. Ryan finds her and promises not to tell anyone where she is, telling Bianca they are not in Walford. When the truth was revealed, Whitney was devastated and it is discovered that Whitney has been shoplifting, prior to this. Whitney then goes to the prison to visit Tony but is told that he has committed suicide. This new piece of evidence then helps Whitney to get bail and she is released until her trial. Ricky Butcher (2010-2012) While theyre having fun Whitney steps out onto the balcony and sees Leo. [2] Over the next few months, Bianca becomes the beneficiary of a mystery "guardian angel" - who is revealed to be Whitney. She runs away to stay with Rob, throwing her phone away as she goes. Billie finds out about the kiss but Whitney insists she did not cheat on him. Michaela is still convinced that Whitney is to blame for Leo's death and wants her to confess. At one point Whitney tells Bianca she found a winning lottery ticket, but kept it secret as she knew that Bianca would spend the money. Debra turns up unexpectedly, claiming she is homeless, but reveals she is planning to move to Greece when she has enough money and says Whitney can come with her. Whitney threatens Ben, but agrees to continue with the wedding after a discussion with Halfway. This causes Whitney to start drinking and Bianca suggests that Whitney go on her honeymoon alone to clear her mind off Halfway. Whitney in turn reveals that she has kept some of the lottery winnings so she and Tony can run away together. Whitney tells Ricky she called the police, and Sam's mother Peggy Mitchell is furious to hear about this, and confronts Whitney, who runs off in tears. But I hope by EastEnders tackling the sensitive issue of child abuse it can raise awareness. Leo is then arrested at The Queen Vic thanks to Jack and Whitney, Martin, Kush and Kat go to celebrate. Johnny's parents, Mick and Linda Carter, hope that Johnny and Whitney will become an item, but his sister Nancy reveals to them that he is gay. When he finds him, they fight and fall over the edge of the pier. The burner phone Max gave her rings, and Whitney is quickly able to cry for help as Max listens on the other line. On the 16th of September 2016, The couple attended their first scan and bumped into Kim and Denise. Whitney and Leo continue their fling, but Whitney struggles to move on from Halfway and attempts to kiss him, but is rejected. The inappropriate nature of Whitney's relationship with Tony resulted in over 200 complaints being made to the BBC and television regulatory body Ofcom by members of the public, and "one of the darkest and most disturbing storylines EastEnders has ever attempted" by the Daily Mirror's Beth Neil. Whitney apologises on Ricky's behalf and they agree to be friends. In one of Eastenders' most controversial storylines to date, Tony - boyfriend of Whitney's mum Bianca, visits Whitney in her bedroom after his release from prison and the two kiss.. She later meets Todd Taylor (Ashley Kumar) and agrees to go on a date with him, which goes well until he asks about past relationships. EastEnders fans all have the same complaint after Whitney and Zack's baby news Molly, who played the lead in CBBC's Nova Jones, finished a runner-up with pro Carlos Gu behind winner Hamza Yassin . Lee tells Whitney that he blames himself for her wanting to break up with him, and she promises him that they will work things out. Whitney, feeling guilty, refuses to go on holiday with Fatboy, and tells him to kiss her. She then admits she wants Tyler, leaving Fatboy heartbroken. The pair then begin a relationship. Her friends and family worry as they find the letters in the bin and think she has indeed run away, and with an important bail meeting coming up it is crucial that she be there. There isn't any uncomfortable feeling at all. Whitneys hair starts falling out because of the stress. Although upset with Whitney's behaviour, Bianca says she is acting just how she did at the same age. In December 2019 Leo takes Whitney to a hotel for her birthday and Tiffany finally calls and asks Bianca who Leo really is. At her funeral, Tamwar Masood discovers a condolences card with 'Rot in Hell' written on it, and realises the handwriting matches Whitney's. When police arrive to tell Sonia about some bad drugs that Bex might be taking she doesnt tell them about the body and they leave. Whitney has had a lot of boyfriends in the show, but James gives me a challenge every day which is just brilliant." . Whitney and Halfway become engaged and during their respective stag and hen parties, Halfway confesses to having kissed Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). However, Tyler later tells Whitney that he cannot, as he loves her. She agrees to tell him the truth and goes on to explain what really happened - that Tony did abuse her as a child and that she has finally accepted that it wasnt her fault that she was abused. Whitney goes to his council estate to find him but meets Kylie. She attempted to tell him by putting a bun in the oven however it was overcooked and was found by a confused Mick. Whitney becomes closer to Mick in Linda's absence and is warned by Shirley to stay away from him. Considering the character's role in the wider context of the show as a whole, it was decided that Whitney would be involved in a sexual relationship with Bianca's partner Tony King. Members of the judging panel described the submitted episodes as "the culmination of a particularly challenging and controversial storyline which the production team, writers and cast pulled off triumphantly. Billie chooses Whitney, and Kylie takes revenge by attempting to shoot him, shooting his uncle Jack (Scott Maslen) instead. Whitney admits to feeling the same way, and they begin a relationship. Ryan's young daughter Lily comes to live in Walford when her mother Stacey Slater is sent to prison. She later throws out her letters to her family in the trash. When Whitney starts a relationship with a man named Lee (Mitchell Hunt), it is revealed that he is a friend of Rob's, and when Whitney agrees to meet Lee by text, Rob takes control of Lee's mobile phone. "[5] Narducci for the NSPCC stated that importance was placed on making children viewing the show "feel comfortable about asking for help if they felt they needed it [and] for the wider community - to recognise the signs and let them know that they can do something about it. "[5] He has added of their off-screen relationship: "Shona's fantastic to work with. Diederick Santer (2008) Todd returns and Whitney agrees to another date. Their reunion is short-lived, and Whitney breaks up with him in favor of Bianca's half-brother Billie (Devon Anderson). Soon enough Whitney is attacked by Billie's jealous friend Kylie (Elarica Gallacher), and when his friends cause trouble at a grime night at The Queen Victoria public house, Whitney asks him to choose between her and his former gang. [31] She did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist.[32]. Fatboy calls Ryan, who comes to Southend looking for Rob. The next day, a body is recovered from the sea, and is later revealed to be Rob who has died. First Appearance For seven years of their life, Whitney and Tiffany thought they were sisters and Tiffany was brought up as Nathan Dean's daughter as Bianca was positive that he was her father. She is also the ex-wife of Lee Carter and was the fiance of the deceased Kush Kazemi. A few days later both Whitney and Lee were told they had Chlamydia (due to Lee's drunken one night stand with Abi) A distraught Whitney blamed it on her past with Rob. . However, Whitney stays and looks after the house, along with Bianca's uncle Derek Branning. Whitney and Leo continue their fling, but Whitney struggles to move on from Halfway and attempts to kiss him, but is rejected. He says he hopes they are still friends and she lets him in. During a siege at The Queen Vic, Ben is shot and Whitney begins to realize that Halfway has feelings for Ben. After speaking with Johnny and Lee, she decides to reply. Halfway returns from the Army and they resume their relationship, eventually trying for a baby. Lucy teases Tyler by telling him that Fatboy plans to publicly propose to Whitney, so Tyler tells Whitney he likes her but Whitney says it is too late. [9][10] Discussing his character's relationship with Whitney, Coghill explained that: "The lie that Tony has spun to Whitney is that as soon as she's 16 they'll run away together and start a new life. Later on, Whitney is harassed by Leo's mother Michaela Turnbull, who threatens Whitney with a knife. "[5] Research highlighted the fact that 12% of abused children go on to become abusers in turn, however Duplock explained: "We felt that to imply on TV that someone who has been abused is going to go on to abuse other people is not a message you want to give out. The rest of Whitney's family move to Suffolk to be near Bianca, who has been sent to prison in Suffolk. Bianca is caught stealing money and returns to prison, but this time located in Suffolk. However, on Valentine's Day, Lee leaves Whitney, leaving a handwritten note on their bed saying he no longer loves her. The Daily Mirror's Beth Neil branded the plot strand "one of the darkest and most disturbing storylines EastEnders has ever attempted",[1] with critic Jim Shelley deeming it a "new low" for EastEnders. However, she is unaware that Lee has overheard her via the baby monitor. They say an emotional farewell. Jack is hospitalised with major injuries, and Whitney struggles to help Billie deal with his guilt and subsequent anger and rejection from the Branning and Jackson families. The following month, she sends Lauren a message and meets her outside the police station, looking rough, as she has been arrested for shoplifting. He returns the following day, apologising to Whitney for his actions and tells her of his plans to move to Dover. A few days later Whitney agrees to meet with Leo and he takes her to Tony's grave where he pushes her into the ground forcing her to apologize to Tony. Tyler then surprises Whitney by kissing her. "[12] When asked how she felt about the abuse storyline, Palmer commented: "It would be brilliant if it helped somebody. Nathan Dean 87 It turned out that it was Ricky who had meant to order five but messed up. [4] Bianca sees Whitney as one of her own, and also as "a friend and confidante". Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief, said: "It is vital that we continue to alert young people to the dangers if we are to stop them being exploited and the opportunity to work with EastEnders will make a huge audience aware of this issue. When Lauren kisses Tyler to make her ex-boyfriend Joey jealous, Whitney ends her friendship with Lauren. She reassures everyone she is fine and is thrown another hen party. Whitney thinks Ryan has stood her up, so leaves with Stacey and Lily. Last Tango in Walford (2010) EastEnders: E20 (2010) East Street (2010) Lauren's Diary (2011) Once Upon a Time in Albert Square (2018) Big Night In (2020) Those people have been through enough. However, she soon falls for Billie's friend, Connor Stanley, and begins selling stolen jewellery for him. Whitney then arranges to meet Ryan at the park. Whitney later tries to kiss Max, causing her to fall out with Lauren. She was desperate to stop Ben from dumping her for his gay lover, Paul Coker. She then goes for a drink and Joey tries to comfort her which leads them to start flirting with one another. Whitney ended her relationship with Lee however she decided to give him another chance as she wanted a happy ever after. ID:507866:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect2521: Follow us on Twitter @SMEntsFeed and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts. In November 2009, Whitney decided to design her own t-shirts as suggested by her family and after she obtained start-up finance from her adoptive great-uncle Jack Branning, an order for 500 units came in. However, she is unaware that Lee has overheard her via the baby monitor. In mid-July 2016. Whitney makes a cameo appearance in episode eight of the second series of the Internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20, in which she buys some trainers from Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson) but later returns them as they are of different sizes. Heartbroken, Whitney visits Bianca but then returns to Walford and then moves in with Stacey. Whitney also agrees to another date. This person is the same man Whitney had called a hero, who tells Whitney he is her half brother, Ryan Malloy. However, Tiffany returns so Whitney cancels her plans. Whitney and Ryan later steal Max's car for a joyride and return it, not realising that she has left her earring in it. She ignores a call from Tony and he leaves her a voicemail begging her to call him back, saying he loves her. Back in February on EastEnders, a drunk Abi Branning had sex with Lee Carter in an attempt to get pregnant to stand up the lie she told boyfriend Ben Mitchell that she was carrying his baby. Duplock has stated that: "One thing that was quite difficult for me to get right was the idea that she didn't want sex. ", "EastEnders' Whitney Dean suffers shock prison collapse but what happens next? McGarty promised fans that she was now punctual for work.[20]. Spin-off Appearances As Whitney settles herself in Walford with her siblings and Bianca altogether, they end up getting reacquainted with Bianca's boyfriend Tony King (Chris Coghill) following his release from prison in September 2008. EastEnders viewers had their pulses racing during Thursday night's episode of the BBC soap. She receives a letter from a stranger, the letter is from Tony asking Whitney to come and see him in prison. Aliases Married Woody arrives and punches the guard, and takes Whitney home. In a panic after realising he is dead, Whitney calls Mick for help and he tells her they are going to the boat party for an alibi. Tranter explained: Chris Coghill was cast as Whitney's abuser Tony on 20 June 2008. She tries to talk to him but he refuses to accept her apology. Appalled, she rejects them and informs Bianca about this; Bianca responds by attacking Connor before turning herself into the police and being imprisoned. Whitney believes she is pregnant, and when she tells Tyler, he seems reluctant to take on a child. Bianca adopted Whitney from a young age and she looked at Bianca as a mother figure as her biological mother Debra walked out on her when she was a toddler, leaving Nathan to look after Whitney, then Nathan met Bianca and later Tiffany was conceived. 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