From wild stories to emergency evacuations, I’m A Celebrity never fails to entertain when it lands on our screens in the festive lead up. But this year, there’s one thing that’s got everyone talking: the possibility of another jungle romance… Enter Shona McGarty and Aitch.
While there’s a certain amount of joy one experiences watching the famous celebs get down and dirty in some horrifying bushtucker trials, there’s truly nothing more exciting that the swirls of young love. Yes, it seems a love story may be rumbling in the jungle, with Shona and Aitch certainly growing closer.
Rapper Aitch first set tongues wagging after admitting during an episode that he had a ‘soft spot’ for Shona – with close pal Angry Ginge replying, ‘I think she’s really nice, if that’s what you mean.’ Speculation only grew after Aitch was sent to Doomsville after failing a challenge (with some viewers suggesting he may have purposefully failed the task so he could join Shona in the alternative camp…)
It didn’t take long for viewers to flock to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts on the potential couple. ‘I’m getting giddy every time Shona and Aitch interact, and now they’re staring into each other’s eyes,’ wrote one viewer, as another agreed, ‘I just know he’s gonna use her eyes as inspo for lyrics or something.’
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Some fans have already compared then to previous jungle love stories – including the infamous romance between Peter Andre and Katie Price, who went on to marry and welcome two children after meeting on the show back in 2004.
‘Aitch and Shona, Peter and Katie 2.0?’ questioned one viewer. Here’s hoping.
Of course, the romance rumours have raised some eyebrows. After all, Shona was engaged not long before heading into the I’m A Celebrity jungle, with Aitch rumoured to have a girlfriend too…
Who has she dated, and is she now single? Here’s everything to know about I’m A Celebrity star (turned Aitch’s potential new muse) Shona McGarty.
Who is Shona McGarty?
Shona is a British actor, best known for appearing in the soap EastEnders. She’s also a musician and singer, hence those lovely little tunes she’s been singing around the I’m A Celebrity camp.
On joining the show, Shona explained, ‘I’m finding my voice and who I am away from the script and character that I grew up playing. Some expect me to wear massive gold hoop earrings and have a ponytail whilst eating chicken nuggets, but I am nothing like that. I’m looking forward to using this experience to be completely myself, which nobody has seen.’
How old is Shona McGarty?
Born 14 October, 1991, Shona is currently 34 years old. For our star sign fans, this makes her a diplomatic and charming Libra.
Where is Shona McGarty from?
Shona was born in the London Borough of Barnet, although she does have Irish heritage! Both of her grandparents on each side of her family are from Ireland.
Who did Shona McGarty play on EastEnders?
Shona is best known for appearing on BBC soap EastEnders as the opinionated Whitney Dean. Living quite the life on Albert Square, she arrived in Walford as Bianca Jackson’s adoptive daughter. During her time on the show, Whitney was engaged three times (and also killed her stalker.)
When did Shona quit EastEnders?
Back in 2023, Shona announced she was leaving the cobbles of Albert Square after 16 years on the show. Telling The Sun that it was time to ‘spread my wings,’ she explained: ‘I have loved my years in the show. I have been trusted with some incredible storylines and have made amazing friendships – and family – which will endure.’
Although her final scenes aired in May 2024, the door was very much left open for her to return at some point in the future. Whitney was last seen leaving Albert Square to start a new life with her newborn daughter Dolly and foster daughter Britney.
Is Shona McGarty a singer?
After leaving behind EastEnders, Shona has turned her attention from acting to music. Earlier this year, she released her debut single ‘Unapologetically Me,’ which is all about self-love.
She’s already been impressing viewers with her voice while on the show, but I’m A Celeb isn’t the first time Shona’s sung for a crowd. She performed a cover of ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ for BBC’s Children In Need, as well as a cover of ‘Hallelujah’ for 2022’s BBC Festival Of Remembrance. She’s also sung as Whitney in the iconic EastEnders pub, The Vic!
Is Shona McGarty single?
Shona’s chemistry with Aitch is certainly raising eyebrows – perhaps down to the fact that she was indeed engaged prior to entering the show. Last year, Shona revealed that she was engaged to Irish musician David Bracken. The pair had met in 2023, after David messaged her on TikTok about collaborating on a song.
During an interview with ITV before heading onto I’m A Celeb, Shona had mentioned that she’d miss her fiancé while she was in the jungle. But as she touched down in Australia without her wedding ring, reports surfaced that the pair had gone their separate ways. A source told The Sun, ‘They both wanted different things and are better off as friends.’
Their split seemed to be confirmed by Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson, who speculated over their fellow campmates’ potential spark. After Vogue insisted that both Whitney and Aitch were ‘single now,’ Tom chimed in that they’d made ‘a gorgeous pair.’
Who has Shona McGarty dated in the past?
Don’t date your colleagues? Shona disagrees. In 2011, the star was linked to her EastEnders co-star Matt Lapinskas, who starred as Anthony Moon. Matt previously revealed that the pair bonded over their love of music, saying they would ‘hang out in each other’s dressing rooms playing songs.’
They dated for around two years before going their seperate ways. At the time of their split, Matt was appearing on Dancing On Ice – going on to date his skating partner, Brianne Delcourt, not long after.
Following her split from Matt, Shona went on to date electrician Ryan Harris. The pair got engaged in 2018 after five years of dating, before splitting the following year. At the time, Shona told Fabulous that it ‘wasn’t a bad 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.’
In 2022, Shona was once again linked to a fellow EastEnders star: Max Bowden, who appears on the show as Ben Mitchell. Their fling was short lived, with insiders saying the pair decided not to ‘pursue anything romantic’ after six months.
In June 2023, Shona revealed that the pair were still pals. She said, ‘It’s a friendship, we’re in a good place. You take a risk and you do something, and it doesn’t work out. But that’s life, you’ve got to take that risk.’
Does Shona McGarty have Instagram?
Yes! To keep up with her life (and all things music, of course) you can follow her @shonabmx.
Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment – from film review roundups to cast explainers.
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