Shona McGarty brands EastEnders co-star boyfriend Tony Discipline ‘The One’
EastEnders actress Shona McGarty has admitted that her romance with former co-star Tony Discipline is going better than she could hope and she knows that he is 'The One'
Former EastEnders star Shona McGarty has revealed she always believed her former co-star Tony Discipline was “The One” as she opened up about their romance for the first time. The actress, 34, has found love with the man who once played her on-screen boyfriend Tyler Moon, years after they first met on the BBC soap.
Tony, 37, left EastEnders in 2013 after two years in the role, while Shona bowed out as Whitney Dean in 2024 following a hugely successful 16-year stint. The pair recently confirmed their relationship after sharing snaps from a romantic holiday together, with eagle-eyed fans also spotting their matching tattoos.
Now, Shona has admitted she has harboured feelings for Tony for years, revealing she has “never felt so cared for” following the end of her engagement to former fiancé David Bracken. Speaking about their relationship, Shona 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.”
Although their romance is still in its early days, Shona admitted their years of friendship have helped their relationship 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.”
The romance comes less than a year after Shona split from fiancé David Bracken. The actress and the Irish guitarist got engaged after he proposed in London’s Holland Park, but they mutually called time on their relationship before Shona headed into the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle last November.
The former couple first met in 2023 after David contacted Shona on TikTok and asked if she would duet with him after watching one of her videos. Shona and Tony finally 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 sweet picture of the pair holding hands over dinner.
Another showed them proudly displaying matching tattoos after visiting a tattoo parlour. The designs appeared to feature a toaster with bread popping out alongside a pineapple and palm tree.
Shona also couldn’t resist leaving a heartfelt comment beneath the post, writing: “Tú Y Yo,” which translates as “You and Me” in Spanish.
