Carl White

[Perdita]

EE bosses have announced the casting of actor Daniel Coonan as Kirsty Branning's ex-boyfriend Carl White.

Carl will arrive in Walford next month, turning Kirsty's world upside down just when she thought she was finally being accepted as Mrs Branning.


© BBC
Daniel Coonan


Kirsty's ex has spent the past few years in jail and is being billed as a new bad boy for EastEnders.

While in prison, Carl shared a cell with Derek Branning and the two men became close friends.

Upon his release, Carl makes a number of attempts to make contact with Kirsty but is left frustrated when she ignores him.

Once he has tracked Kirsty down, Carl's early scenes on Albert Square see him determined to get back some money that he feels is rightfully his. However, he also soon makes it clear that he wants Kirsty back.

Speaking of his new role, Coonan commented: "EastEnders has been a part of my life since I was 12 years old. I even remember talking about the storylines in school playgrounds in Tottenham and I am very happy and proud to now be a small part of its life."

EastEnders' executive producer Lorraine Newman added: "It's wonderful to have Daniel Coonan joining us in Walford to play Carl White. Oozing confidence and with a dangerous edge, will Kirsty be able to resist his bad boy charms for long, or can Max save her from the lure of the dark side?"

Coonan's previous screen credits include parts in Silent Witness, Dancing on the Edge, Mayday, Inside Men and Law & Order: UK.

[tammyy2j]

Another love triangle again

[lizann]

looks familiar was in the bill or another soap maybe corrie before?

[Perdita]

looks familiar was in the bill or another soap maybe corrie before?

Silent Witness, Dancing on the Edge, Mayday, Inside Men and Law & Order: UK, Casualty

[Perdita]

looks familiar was in the bill or another soap maybe corrie before?

Silent Witness, Dancing on the Edge, Mayday, Inside Men and Law & Order: UK, Casualty

[lizann]

Silent Witness, Dancing on the Edge, Mayday, Inside Men and Law & Order: UK, Casualty

thanks perdita but i read those in the opening post

so kirsty will be staying around long term now

[lizann]

Silent Witness, Dancing on the Edge, Mayday, Inside Men and Law & Order: UK, Casualty

thanks perdita but i read those in the opening post

so kirsty will be staying around long term now

[Perdita]

EastEnders newcomer Carl White leaves Ian Beale fearing for his life next week.

Carl, played by actor Daniel Coonan, is the ex-boyfriend of Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing). He also has a connection to the late Derek Branning as the pair used to share a prison cell together.

Viewers will see Carl make his arrival in Walford in search of Derek's missing £10,000, which he feels is rightfully his.

Cunning and ruthless, Carl soon finds out that Ian (Adam Woodyatt) stole the cash from Derek's lockbox and used it to set up his new restaurant business.

Carl plays dumb in his early interactions with Ian, but later catches the businessman off-guard by turning very nasty indeed. With a shocking venom descending over him, Carl declares that he wants Ian's blood.

Ian is then left completely terrified as Carl informs him that he was always prone to bouts of violence, but after spending years in prison with murderers and thugs, he got even worse! What does Carl have planned for Ian?

Kirsty, meanwhile, is shocked to see Carl on Albert Square and wastes little time before warning everyone that he is very bad news…


© BBC
Carl tells Kirsty that he's changed.


EastEnders bosses announced Coonan's casting last month, billing Carl as a new bad boy for the soap.

Speaking at the time, Coonan commented: "EastEnders has been a part of my life since I was 12 years old. I even remember talking about the storylines in school playgrounds in Tottenham, and I am very happy and proud to now be a small part of its life."

EastEnders airs Carl's first scenes on Thursday, June 20 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

[Perdita]

EastEnders' new recruit Daniel Coonan has claimed that his character Carl White is as bad as some of the soap's most memorable villains.

Carl is the ex-boyfriend of Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing) and arrives on Albert Square next week following a stint in prison.

Show bosses have billed Carl as a major new bad boy for EastEnders, and his time in Walford gets off to a dramatic start as he leaves Ian Beale fearing for his life with some sinister threats.

Coonan told Inside Soap of his new role: "There's that old saying about the Devil having all the best tunes. Carl is so exciting to play because you just never know what he's going to do next. The Square has seen some major villains over the years, and Carl is right up there with them."

Asked whether he wants Carl to be as devious as Dirty Den, the actor replied: "Yes, definitely! If you're playing a bad guy, you want spicy storylines. Carl is pretty nasty, and he has a dark way of going about things. He's completely unpredictable. But I like to think Carl has some redeeming qualities - I don't want him to be a total arch-villain."

Coonan teased that Carl may even clash with the Square's resident hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) over the next few weeks.

He said: "It's very likely. I've just filmed my first scene with Steve McFadden, and it's genuinely the only time I've ever felt nervous. So far we've only done one scene, but there are more coming up. You can only have so many alpha males in one place before it kicks off."

EastEnders airs Carl's first scenes on Thursday, June 20 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

[Perdita]

EastEnders newcomer Daniel Coonan has said that his character Carl White has similarities to a Shakespearean villain.

Coonan made his debut as Carl on last night's (June 20) instalment of the show when he turned up in search of the late Derek Branning.

Speaking in a video released on the official EastEnders website, Coonan also explained that Carl will be on two missions as he settles into life in the square. The first is to get his money back from Ian Beale, and the second is to get back together with his ex-girlfriend Kirsty Branning.

Coonan revealed as well that Carl will be clashing with Phil Mitchell and Max Branning, and said he thinks the residents of Albert Square should be wary of his alter ego as he is used to getting what he wants.

EastEnders continues tonight (June 21) at 8.00pm on BBC1.