EastEnders star Shona McGarty has landed a new role after filming her exit scenes as Whitney Dean.
McGarty will depart the BBC soap next month after 16 years in the role, with the star previously stating that she wanted to "spread her wings" in terms of her career.
The decision has reaped instant rewards, with the star set to play Jenny in 2:22: A Ghost Story during its run in Dublin, joining Once Upon a Time's Colin O'Donoghue, Love Island's Laura Whitmore and Strictly's Jay McGuiness for a limited run.
The soap star made the announcement on her Instagram, saying she is "so excited" to be taking on the role.
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As per the logline, the play follows "Jenny [as she] believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn't having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben.
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"Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they're going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they'll know."
The residency will take place at Dublin 3Olympia Theatre, with the run starting on June 20 before ending on August 11. Tickets are available to purchase from Ticketmaster, with performances available from Tuesday to Sunday.
McGarty announced her decision to leave the soap in July 2023, before explaining in further detail in December as she said: "It's going to be the end of an era, or an earring, as the EastEnders saying goes.
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"I've loved my time in Walford, but with the character of Whitney, bless her, she's had some awful things happen to her, and I think she needs a break. The door's open and I could always come back in the future.
"But at the moment, I want to pursue things that are in my heart, like singing — stuff that I've been doing since childhood and dreaming about. EastEnders has been amazing; I just want to do other things."
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
