Whitney Dean

Whitney is the daughter of Bianca's ex, Nathan Dean. When Nathan died, Bianca took Whitney under her wing. Her biological mum has played very little part in her life.

• Favourite food: Macaroni cheese
• Dislikes: Feet and red wine
• Criminal record: Arrested twice for shoplifting
• Music tastes: Grime
• Qualifications: One GCSE in Art

In her early teens, Whitney embarked on a relationship with Bianca's then boyfriend Tony King. It was only when she confessed all to Bianca that she realised she had been abused and manipulated by him.

Despite appearances, Whitney is vulnerable and easily manipulated. Without Bianca as her safety-net, there's a danger Whitney could fall in with the wrong crowd.

After discovering that her step-grandmother Carol was having an affair with her then boyfriend Connor, Whitney's life spiralled out of control and she was coerced into prostitution. As a result of her experiences, Whitney lost a lost of confidence, in men and in her own ability to weed the bad ones out. But it seems that she has found a good egg in reformed ladies man Tyler... after a rocky start, this pair now seem stronger than ever having recently got engaged. While Bianca still has her concerns that Whitney is too young to settle down, it seems like Whitney and Tyler are determined to go the distance.

Shona McGarty

• Shona's hobbies include singing, dancing, listening to music and hanging out with friends.
• Her musical tastes take in R'n'B, hip hop, garage and drum and bass.
• Before joining EastEnders, Shona had been involved in amateur musical theatre for six years.