EastEnders' Kellie Bright on Linda Carter's downward spiral: "It’s a never-ending nightmare"

Next week, Linda struggles ahead of another Father's Day without Mick but events get even more troubling for her when Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) reveals that Keanu's funeral is happening that week.

While her son Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) and best pal Sharon do their best to help her, is Linda finally about to crack?

Speaking in a new interview shared with RadioTimes.com and other press, actress Kellie Bright speaks about Linda's ongoing pain.

The week gets off to an emotional start for Linda as Father’s Day looms. Can you explain how she’s feeling?

"I think any day that reminds her of Mick is a difficult day. She’s still got a very young son who remembers his dad, and wants to talk about his dad, and wants to make his dad a Father’s Day card and in addition to that, she’s still drinking so her ability to cope with those emotional things is on the floor. She’s not in a strong mental place so she is finding it hard. She’s finding it hard to answer Ollie’s questions and I don’t think she wants to think about it. Everything for her is too painful at the minute so she just wants to shut it away."

Out of everything that’s happened over the past year and a half, do you think Mick’s absence is the hardest thing for Linda to process, or is it the most painful?

"I think it’s the most painful thing for her. I think she has felt his loss more than ever since Christmas because I think she probably goes back in her head and thinks ‘If Mick had been here, none of this would have happened’ or ‘If Mick was here, he would know what to do”. I just think she thinks that everything would be better if he was still here, so that’s the most painful thing."

It’s clear that Linda is hanging on by a thread before Bernie arrives and drops the bombshell that Keanu’s funeral is taking place later that week as she asks to host his wake in The Vic. How does Linda cope with the news?

"Elaine agrees before Linda can say anything, and of course for Linda, it is her worst nightmare. So she’s worrying about how she’s going to get through the day. I think there is always something in her mind about Christmas – it’s a never-ending nightmare. I think she thought that once she had dealt with framing Dean, that was the end of it, but of course, it’s always there. Of course, there was always going to be a funeral, I just don’t think she’d thought that far ahead, and I certainly don’t think that she thought the wake would be in The Vic where she lives and where she killed him. It’s about as in the face as you can get!"

Johnny finds Linda drinking before she heads to find Sharon to tell her the news, but she doesn’t reach her. Do you think Linda had any intention of ever finding her?

"No. She just wants to get away from Johnny so she can drink more. Eventually, they both find her in the barrel store in a mess."

Wanting to help her friend, Sharon convinces Linda to go to an AA meeting. Why do you think Sharon is able to get through to Linda out of everyone trying to support her?

"I think it’s because Linda has so much guilt around Keanu. I think she feels that she owes Sharon, and will always owe Sharon something. She would do things for Sharon that she wouldn’t do for herself, even."

Finally, do you think Linda has the ability to keep in this secret for much longer?

"She has to. If Linda falls, all of the other women fall with her. I honestly don’t think that Linda will ever truly find peace for killing Keanu whilst it remains a secret, but I think the guilt of taking the other women down with her would be too much for Linda to bear. She’s also very aware that her children have already lost one parent, and she doesn’t want them to lose another. Linda has to try and remain strong but as you’ll see this week, her drinking threatens to jeopardise it all."

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