Shona McGarty has opened up about her romance with Tony Discipline for the first time, admitting she always believed her former EastEnders co-star was "The One". The actress, 34, is dating Tony, 37, who played her on-screen boyfriend Tyler Moon on the BBC soap.
Tony left EastEnders in 2013 after two years in the role, while Shona bowed out as Whitney Dean in 2024 following a 16-year stint. The pair recently confirmed their relationship after sharing snaps from a romantic holiday, with fans also spotting matching tattoos.
A soft spot for years
Shona said she has harboured feelings for Tony for years and has "never felt so cared for" since the end of her engagement to David Bracken. She said: "I am so happy. And to be honest, I've had a soft spot for him for years. I always felt like he was The One."
She continued to The Sun: "We've been friends since meeting on EastEnders – we've known each other for 15 years, but for a long time it felt to me like it could be more. It's not been that long. We got talking a while ago and it just happened. I am really smitten. I adore him. We're really excited for the future."
Moving quickly
Although the romance is still early days, Shona admitted their years of friendship have helped it get off the ground. She said: "It's moving quickly, in a good way. We're both in our 30s. He's 37, I'm 34. He's gorgeous, and he's such an old-school gentleman, too. We go on lovely dates, he treats me like a lady. I feel like I've got my feminine energy back. I've never felt so looked after and cared for before."
Previous engagement
The romance comes less than a year after Shona split from fiancé David Bracken. The Irish guitarist proposed in London's Holland Park, but they mutually called time on their relationship before Shona went into the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle last November. David first contacted Shona on TikTok in 2023 and asked if she would duet with him after watching one of her videos.
Instagram official
Shona and Tony made their romance Instagram official last month by sharing loved-up snaps from a sunshine getaway. Tony captioned the pictures: "Little trip away with Mi Amor." Among the photos was a picture of the pair holding hands over dinner, and another showed them displaying matching tattoos – designs appearing to feature a toaster with bread popping out, a pineapple and a palm tree. Shona commented beneath the post: "Tú Y Yo," which translates as "You and Me" in Spanish.
