EastEnders Star Kellie Bright to Leave After 13 YearsEastEnders star Kellie Bright is leaving the BBC soap after 13 years, telling fans "it is now the right time for me to say goodbye." The actress, 50, has played glamorous Queen Vic landlady Linda Carter since December 2013, becoming one of the best-loved characters in Albert Square. Bright revealed she actually made the decision over a year ago, but agreed to stay on after producers Kate Oates and Ben Wadey asked her to be part of a storyline they had planned. EastEnders has been my home for 13 years and I have absolutely loved being part of the show, but I have decided that it is now the right time for me to say goodbye. Executive producer Ben Wadey paid tribute, saying Bright had been "at the beating heart of EastEnders" and had "cemented her as a classic EastEnders icon."