EastEnders’ Shona McGarty’s famous fiancé ‘didn’t know who she was’ when they met on TikTok

Dating in the public eye can undoubtedly be difficult, but luckily for EastEnders star Shona McGarty, her new fiancé was never after fame. In fact, famous singer and TikTok star David didn’t even know who the 31-year-old was when they met on the social media platform.

In an exclusive chat with OK!, Shona revealed her exciting news: she is tying the knot with musician David Bracken and the pair are smitten with each other. However, David didn’t know much about the actress before their romance blossomed.

David explained: “I saw she had a blue tick on TikTok but I just assumed she must be a really good singer or something,” to which Shona replied: “It was funny because David had no idea what I did for a living. I remember him asking me, ‘So what do you do? Do you perform or do you sing?’

“I said, ‘Well, not really, I’m not allowed at the moment.’ He said, ‘What do you mean?’ He didn’t even know I was in EastEnders – he’d never seen it!”

Although Shona rose to fame after playing Albert Square legend Whitney Dean, the adopted daughter of Bianca (Patsy Palmer) for 16 years, she said it was actually their love of music that brought the two together. David, 35, who plays in an Irish band called Blessed, and Shona, who loves to share her passion for singing by posting her incredible song covers on social media, discovered each other while scrolling through TikTok.

Shona continued: “He doesn’t care what I do for a living and in this industry it can be hard to find someone who really likes you for who you are.” David, on the other hand, said: “Nothing has changed because I just liked her for who she was and I got to know her for the person she was.”

However, Shona recently made the incredibly difficult decision to leave EastEnders and said OK! She had to do this in both her personal and professional life, trading long work days for more time at home with her family, friends and beloved fiancé.

The actress said: “I miss everyone at EastEnders but I don’t miss the programme that much. I have so much more time to spend with David, family and friends, it’s fantastic. I feel very free. I can say yes or no to things and work on my music. I have time slots now that I never had before. I’m very excited about what’s to come.”

Now 31-year-old Shona, who left the BBC soap in May, has begun a new and exciting chapter in her life: she has to plan a wedding – and plays a leading role alongside Laura Whitmore in the Irish cast of “2:22 A Ghost Story”.

Photography by Alan Keville, photography assisted by Kris Hand, styling by Megan Fox, styling assisted by Ella McCarthy, make-up by Michelle Kinsella using Charlotte Tilbury, hair by Bernadette Byrnes of Hairpeople Dublin, shot on location at the Odeon, Dublin.