- Shona McGarty is currently on I’m A Celebrity, following her exit from EastEnders after playing Whitney Dean since 2008
- She recently ended her engagement to musician David Bracken and is focusing on her music and personal growth
- Fans speculate a potential romance between Shona and fellow I’m A Celebrity contestant Aitch due to their on-screen chemistry
Shona McGarty entered the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here jungle last week, amid a tumultuous couple of years for the ex-EastEnders star.
Actor and singer Shona, 34, found fame playing Whitney Dean in the BBC soap, which she first joined at the age of 18.
Shona vacated the role in May last year, commencing work on her debut album and Bettie Page stage musical.
Months later, she announced that she had gotten engaged to musician David Bracken after two years of dating.
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Reports emerged earlier this month that Shona and David had since ‘ended’ their engagement.
With Shona now one week into her stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, here’s all you need to know about her dating history and recent break-up.
Is Shona McGarty married?
No, Shona is not married. Earlier this month, it was announced that Shona had ‘split’ from fiancé David Bracken after a year of engagement.
Shona met guitarist Davidafter he got in touch via TikTok in 2023, asking whether she’d like to collaborate on a song.
One year later, at Holland Park in London, David popped the question.
A source claimed in November this year that the pair had since called off the engagement, telling The Sun: ‘They are on amicable terms, but have ended their romantic relationship.’
‘There are no hard feelings, they realised they wanted different things and are better off as friends. Shona is now focusing on her music and career.’
Life after the split
In the weeks after Shona and David’s split, she released a cryptic message to her Instagram page, talking about her ‘new beginning.’
Posting a video of her applying make-up in the mirror, Shona wrote: ‘I’m finally learning to just be me, no filters, no apologies, no shrinking to make others comfortable.
‘It’s a new beginning, and this time I’m stepping into life with open arms and an open heart. I’ve spent too long second-guessing, dimming my light, trying to fit into spaces that were never meant for me.’
She continued: ‘But now, it’s about freedom, being comfortable in my own skin, owning my story, singing LOUD, with all my flaws, and my fire.
‘This is the start of really living, fully and authentically. From here on out, …I’m … unapologetically me.’
David has been supportive of Shona’s jungle journey since their split, posting a picture of them both together with the caption: ‘Let’s go girl! You got this.’
How her relationships played out during her EastEnders years
Appearing on EastEnders as Whitney Dean from 2008 to 2024, Shona previously dated co-stars Max Bowden and Matt Lapinskas while they were on the soap.
Shona dated Matt, who played Anthony Moon, between 2011 and 2013. He told Closer in 2012: ‘I had seen Shona on TV and always thought she had a gorgeous smile, but it is all about the personality. When I met her, we just clicked. It really was love at first sight.’
The pair split a year later, with Matt now describing dating Shona as being ‘like hell.’
As per The Mirror, he said: ‘Shona had no interest in being there for me. All she was interested in was going out partying until 2am.’
Shona, meanwhile, denied rumours that they’d split because he had ‘grown close’ to Dancing On Ice partner Brianne Delcourt.
She tweeted: ‘Thanx 4 support guys! Yes its true Matt and I have split but it has NOTHING 2 do with Brianne. Clear head and new beginnings!
During her time on EastEnders, Shona also began dating an electrician named Ryan Harris.
They announced their engagement in 2018, after Ryan proposed during her surprise birthday party. However, they split in 2020, in an ‘amicable’ breakup.
We both came to the decision that, actually, this isn’t what we really want. It fizzled out and we weren’t the same people,’ she told The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine.
Shona then began growing close to Ben Mitchell star Max over a six-month period in 2022 – but reportedly parted ways due to the fact he was expecting a child with his former partner, Roisin Buckle.
Still, they remained on good terms afterwards, with Shona revealing at the British Soap Awards in 2023: ‘We’re actually better than ever.’
She added: ‘It’s a friendship, we’re in such a good place.’
Fans predict I’m A Celebrity romance as sparks fly with Aitch
Since arriving in the jungle, fans have noticed a certain spark between Shona and fellow contestant Aitch – dubbing them the next Katie Price and Peter Andre.
‘Aitch and Shona the new Katie and Peter,’ wrote michellefowlers on X as these scenes aired.
‘Aitch and shona ye i ship it,’ agreed mint250.
DPatz13 commented: ‘Aitch & Shona could be a power couple in camp.’
It’s a sentiment echoed by new arrivals Tom Read Wilson and Vogue Williams, who took note of the pair’s chemistry last night.
‘They would make a gorgeous pair’, said Tom, with Vogue agreeing: ‘they’ve got those bright, bright blue eyes and they both love music’.
I’m A Celebrity airs at 9pm on ITV1.
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