Would have stayed on for as long as they have?

The 2006 characters have proved extremely popular and after being on the show for over a decade, did you expect them to have been on the show for this long?

Shirley ( Linda Henry) was DTC favourite character but under SOC she has been relegated to a background character.

Diane/Denise has done well to outlast most of her original family, she started as single mother of two, both now gone - except for Libby popping back now and again, then she had an abusive ex husband, a psycho ex boyfriend, a new husband in Kevin - all dead and yet she keeps battling on!

If she was such a favourite, he wouldn't of left her in such a poor state.

I think once Babe has gone and with Linda in Spain, she should have more screen time.

I'm so glad Linda Henry has stayed. I only hope she gets a belter of a storyline soon.

I agree.

You can't have any one character in the forefront the whole time, it would be enough to turn people away in droves.

Shirley has already had a good set of storylines. First she was with Phil. Then we had the 'Mick's my son' reveal. Then the long running storyline with Buster, which appended the 'Dean's my son but he's also a rapist' storyline ... surely that's quite enough of her for a little while?

She certainly looked to have smartened herself up before New Year's Eve, but yesterday we saw her do a U-turn back into the toilet for further upchucking, so I guess a leopard really does find it hard to change its spots!

I'm surprised about the longevity of Diane Parish and Linda Henry but not complaining since they're two of the show's best actresses.

Denise has really become part of the furniture so to speak and I love how the Foxes have sort of become an extension of the Truemans with Patrick as a father figure to her and Kim. I'd be open to Chelsea returning this year. She's been off EE for years, there's family on the Square and if Libby can keep popping back into the show, Chelsea can also put in some appearances.

I honestly thought Shirley would leave after Heather's death. If DTC hadn't created a family for her she may have been long gone. Maybe Kat and Alfie would've held onto the Vic a bit longer, or Mick and Linda may have come in with no ties to the Square at all. But like Denise, she's now very much part of the Square despite people around her coming and going.

Less surprised about Jake Wood given the prominence of the Brannings since Max's family was introduced. While they have diminished in number since 2013, there's now four of them plus Dot via marriage and I suppose Bex by blood even though she's not really connected to their storylines (Sonia is a Branning, remember).

I think you look at it in the wrong way altogether, if SOC didn't value the character she would have been gone with the others. In soap all characters have quiet periods, I don't think Linda Henry fans have anything to worry about.

So pleased Diane and Linda have lasted. Hopefully they hace big years. A fan of Jake Wood so pleased he stayed

Once Babe & Lee leave I think Shirley will move into the Vic with Mick & Johnny, not sure what will happen to Whitney though once Lee leaves.

The dramatic shift in Shirley's screentime occurred under DTC in the second half of his tenure. Although she was very active between Dec 2013 - June 2015.

Hopefully 2017 will be good for her. With Lindsey Coulson now gone, Linda is the show's strongest actress.

I hoped not but we can't always get what we want. I despise Max and Denise bores me to sleep. Shirley is almost invisible these days.

I wish other characters had lasted this long like Dennis Rickman, Chrissie Watts, Den and Angie and a few others.

I would add Steve Owen, Michael Moon and a few others but the way the Watts have been treated over the years is a total disgrace.

Imagine Den, Angie, Dennis and Chrissie all in Walford now!

Sharon is now just a feeble joke 'I'm nothing without him!' she simpers about King Weeble.

As Den and poor Dennis spin hard enough in their graves to power the national grid.

Time Shirley got a Storyline

Same here, to me she is such a believable Eastend character and doesn't have to swagger and be all 'cor blimey' to act the part. I just wish they had not got rid of Heather, what a loss that was, can you imagine the storyline with Heather and the loss of George Michael..

I look forward every Christmas to seeing Eastend characters acting in panto at the St. Albans Arena and seeing how brilliant they are on stage. This year it was Rita (Roxy) as the wicked queen, and Jake (Max) as the mirror. Fantastic, both of them. Steve McFadden and Jake in previous years. Long may they give us pleasure.

Apart from DTC, none of the Executive Producers over the years seem to give a damn about Shirley which is great for people like me that cannot stand her.

That's the whole point of Shirley

Linda H is one of the few strongest actresses in EastEnders and it's a huge pity she has been 'demoted' to background character but I don't understand why she has minimal screentime. 2017 should be a big year for the character and I'm saddened we don't see enough of her nowadays, however, she is featured heavily next week so that'll be a treat.

With Linda temporarily gone, plus the departures of Babe and Lee the writers should ideally feature her more prominently. From a storyline POV Shirley is the one who Mick will have to lean on the most for support. His wife is abroad, his aunt will be on her way out (not sure how) and his son is probably going to have a pretty big exit.

I wosh Shirley has her own outright storyline