Not just the rape storyline but it's the fact that Shirley didn't get her comeuppance for attempted murder last year.

She didn't attempt to murder anyone. Fair enough she shouldn't have been waving a loaded gun about, but then she shouldn't have been able to get her hands on a gun in the first place. If she'd have gone down then the person who (illegally) had the gun would have gone down with her. Although Sharon, Shirley and Ronnie banged up together could have been fun.

She pointed the gun at him, first outside the window when with Sharon and second in the house when she shot him, that's intent in itself, she could of left the gun at home and confront Phil, she didn't she took it with her.

I'm sure you will say, it wasn't her fault but it was.

Of course it was her fault, I've never said otherwise. She should never have been near a loaded gun....we have gun laws for a reason, alcoholics (and children) should never be around guns. People should have a licence for them and keep them under lock and key.

Voted no. Shes had toonmuch un nessarily screentime recently.
Showhorned into most storylines and episodes
For no or little reason. Her break cant cone soon enough but it needs tk be 6 months-1 year!

After a long break of the charactee inwould like her again but dtc will need to go for her to not be the centre for a period or allow a break of a suitable amount to recvoer from what has been "the shirley show"'since he took over

I liked Shirley a lot when she first arrived, until she got with Phil. Early on, Shirley was portrayed as a loudmouth and a bit of a drunk, but she was also vulnerable and very protective of those she cared about. I always felt Shirley was misunderstood, and that she could be redeemed (rather like Pat was). However from about 2010 onwards I haven't enjoyed how Shirley has been portrayed. All of the 'heart' is gone, and she just treats everyone around her like shit. Since the arrival of her extended family her sense of entitlement has only gotten worse, and I don't think there's any chance of her being redeemed now. I'm really not a fan of the way she goes around terrorising, blackmailing, and shooting people, and yet never faces the consequences.

Also, if there's one thing guaranteed to put me off a character, it's the annoying "you MUST like this person" crap we get from the producers when they shoehorn their favourites into every episode/storyline possible. Shirley is a divisive character - probably THE most divisive character in EastEnders - so shoving her down viewers' throats as the 'face' of the show is a mistake.

I could see myself liking Shirley again if they actually bothered to give her some development, instead of repeating the self-destructive circle she's been going in since she arrived. If she owned up to her mistakes, took responsibility for her behaviour, and decided to finally change her life for the better then she could be redeemed. But sadly I can't see that ever happening. So I voted no.

Someone summed it up on here beautifully a few weeks back - whenever I see Shirley, I see two completely different characters that do not mesh with each other, depending on the writer.

One character is the tough old woman who's had it rough and, at first, seems pretty nasty, but ultimately has a big heart who cares for her friends, and will do anything for them. She'll stand up to just about anyone who threatens her or people she cares about, and will take crap from no one. She's done things in her life that she wasn't proud of, but ultimately is trying to make up for those.

And then there's the other character - a bitter old woman who's spiteful nature has driven everyone she cares about away. She's selfish, horrible and will spit on anyone to get what she wants, even people she pretends to care about. And every time she messes up, she hides behind her "bad past" as an excuse for it, and goes on to mess up all over again. She never learns, never develops, and is just a nasty piece of work.

... And these two characters just never mesh, despite how much DTC wants them to. It's like the Lauren Problem that Newman had a few years back - shoving your pet project character into the limelight, begging us to like them, will not make us like them if there is nothing to like. Shirley has more storylines than anyone else, pretty much, and in them she's either one character or the other.

I'm in the dislike camp. I get what DTC is trying to do with Shirley, but his insistence on keeping that low life Dean around, just so we could have yet another baby plot featuring his other pet characters Kush and Stacey, has really not helped. Linda Henry is a fine actress, and Shirley in the right hands could be a very special and engaging character. But she's overexposed, overused and ultimately, let down by weak writing.

It's funny with DTC. His biggest weakness as a producer is not identifying when something just isn't working, and dragging it on regardless. Oh, and the fact that he thinks having 10 baby plots at once is engaging television, and not the lazy, boring writing it is. Look at this week - no babies, no Shirley... and all the better for it.

Yes, I bloody LOVE Shirley, and Linda Henry. She is one of the reasons I continue to watch Easties.

Proud to have voted NO !!!!!!!

I miss THIS Shirley Carter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BscsgZwOHw

WHY did Birkwood axe Heather? She was the one person who made Shirley fun.

Now she's not even the same person.

Perhaps Danny Dyer and co should've been introduced as a new family altogether. All it has done is make her a horrible battleaxe.

Yes, even though she can be mean, vile and nasty, I still like her, I just think it's Linda's acting.

No, I don't like Shirley Carter - I bloody love her.

I can't say that I like Shirley she's an impossible character to like, but I do think she works very well in East enders, she kind of fit's in well to Albert square and she would be missed if she was not around. On the other hand l think she would be completely out of place in coronation street or Emmerdale.

That's fair enough as evidence but of course not everybody voted on the poll. I didn't for one as i haven't on this one. That's not to say the poll wasn't accurate for those that did vote but there will be a lot who didn't. I was more basing my assertion that plenty didn't like her, and the reasons stated for it at the time from threads such as this which seemed to be equally as negative as positive on her.

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I agree with all of this. I preferred Shirley with Phil too. I don't like the Shirley / Buster / Dean trio. I think the storyline with Shirley and Mick could have been so much better and done more sensitively. Instead we've had overload of Shirley and Dean. I do love Linda Henry, she has however been given repetitive scenes which DTC and the writers are of course to blame for. There's only so much Linda Henry can do with crap writing. I wish her and Phil had got back together properly then the current storyline with Ben, Jay, Abi and the Lucy murder would have been much better and much more interesting.
I agree the rape storyline could have been better. There's been hardly any focus on Linda who was the victim in all of this. I'm fed up with Shirley and her precious Dean. Yes there are men who get away with it in fact the majority do and yes their mothers often blame the rape victim but this could have been shown on Eastenders with far less repetition.

Linda Henry is one of the reasons why Shirley divides viewers. It shows why she is a great actress. Shirley is so watchable and I do love her strong attitude. I'm glad her and Phil are over for good now because I hated how Phil made her look weak and pathetic. Shirley is in an equal relationship with Buster and I hope we see more of them together. Dean needs to leave the show so we can see more of Shirley and Buster alone. Buster is a really popular character in social media so I hope they have big plans for him.

I like Linda Henry, I don't like Shirley. She is enjoyable sometimes and can be very funny, but 80% of the time she's just vile.

Not really - Shirley clearly calls all the shots and Buster acquiesces regardless of how unreasonable she is. It had potential to be a really good relationship, but the Roya and Carol mess has basically messed up the whole dynamic for me.

There have been times that Buster backs down, but most of the time it's Shirley that backs down when she realises that he makes sense...it is an equal relationship.

Think they have ruined this character. Always grumpy and always looking for an argument. They need to soften her up a bit. I don't mean turn her to jelly just normal and less aggressive would do. Just a bit of a throw back to her previous incarnation in Bad Girls many years ago now.

She should move to Margate permanently with Buster and the oh-so-lovely Dean, and only come back to Walford for the occasional guest appearance - much like Aunt Sal.

It is wearisome that she is shoe-horned into storylines so often. Wjhy did it have to be SHIRLEY who came into the chippy? Just so that DTC's 'fave' could sneer and be unneccesarily vile at Max? She didn;t come across as funny, just very, very nasty.

Oh God no, I really don't. I'll grant that Linda Henry is a good actress but Shirley is a loathsome creature for the most part. I don't see how people see her as a layered character. She's just an awful human being to watch.

This !
Horrible character

I'd say it is a fairly equal relationship. If i had to say which person had the upper hand i'd say it was Shirley (buster took not having been told he had 2 sons with remarkable grace, plus serving as a cash dispenser for her and supporting her over Dean and roya despite clearly having doubts) but he does argue back sometimes (as with Carol) and isn't a complete doormat. I'd certainly say it is more equal in terms of reciprocal affection and love than hers was with Phil.