Shona McGarty breaks her silence over quitting 'EastEnders'

Shona McGarty opened up about the real reason behind quitting EastEnders.

The 32-year-old actress has been playing the iconic role of Whitney Dean since she joined the soap at the age of 16.

The EastEnders star revealed that she wants to explore new opportunities before she gets too old and leaving the soap is a ‘really difficult’ decision for her.

“It was a really difficult decision because it's all I've ever known. I pretty much grew up on the Square, so I feel like I'm leaving home,” she told The Sun. “But I had to put on my big girl pants and be quite brave, because life is so short, and you feel that more and more as you get older.”

“There are other opportunities and areas of the industry I want to explore before I get too old! All things come to an end and this is the new chapter of my life,” she added.

She went on to say, “I'm not gonna lie, I feel like it's a kind of grief and I didn't think I'd be so emotional. But seeing all the fans who had these messages and cards was just beautiful and, although I tried to keep it together, I actually fell to pieces.”

Moreover, the BBC star filmed her final scenes earlier this month and she will quit in July.

For those unversed, EastEnders is a British television soap created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been airing on BBC One since February 1985.