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Victoria’s secret has a new owner; wexner to exit.

Victoria’s Secret has been sold — and Les Wexner is stepping aside.

Parent company L Brands sold 55 percent of the intimates giant to Sycamore Partners for $525 million. The deal includes the Pink brand. Victoria’s Secret will become a private company, while L Brands’ remaining operation, Bath & Body Works, will become a standalone public firm.

“The Board undertook a comprehensive review of a broad range of options to best position its brands for long-term success and drive shareholder value,” Allan Tessler, lead independent Board director of L Brands, said in his prepared remarks. “As the Board and its advisers explored these potential alternatives, we received valuable input from a number of shareholders, and we greatly appreciate their support. We are confident that this transformative transaction is the best path forward to strengthen our iconic brands and deliver enhanced value to all L Brands shareholders.”

Following the transaction, Wexner — who has come under fire over the last 18 months for Victoria’s Secret failure to adapt to changing market conditions, his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and alleged sexual harassment at the company — will transition from chairman and chief executive officer of L Brands to chairman emeritus of the company he founded 57 years ago.

L Brands will also retain a 45 percent stake in Victoria’s Secret, which Sycamore valued at $1.1 billion. The company said it intends to use the proceeds from the transaction, along with approximately $500 million in excess balance sheet cash, to reduce debt. Moody’s vice president Christina Boni estimated that the deal will allow L Brands to decrease its debt by as much as $1 billion.

“Today is the beginning of an important new chapter in the evolution of the enterprise,” Wexner wrote in a letter sent out to L Brands associates Thursday morning. “We believe the separation of Victoria’s Secret Lingerie , Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Pink into a privately held company provides the best path to restoring these businesses to their historic levels of profitability and growth. Sycamore, which has deep experience in the retail industry and a superior track record of success, will bring a fresh perspective and greater focus to the business. We believe that, as a private company, Victoria’s Secret will be better able to focus on longer-term results. We are pleased that, by retaining a significant ownership stake, our shareholders will have the ability to meaningfully participate in the upside potential of these iconic brands.

“As I’ve said before, retail is a business of change,” Wexner continued. “And we have seen our business evolve and take new paths many times before. I think about the endless possibilities ahead for this company.”

Wexner added that the new structure will allow Bath & Body Works — which represents the vast majority of 2019 consolidated operating income and almost all of last year’s gains — to continue to grow.

“We have long had great respect and admiration for L Brands and its success in building a world-class portfolio of lingerie and beauty brands,” said Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners. “With unmatched global brand awareness and customer loyalty, we believe there is a significant opportunity to reinvigorate growth and improve the profitability of Victoria’s Secret. We look forward to partnering with the leadership team to pursue these objectives.”

L Brands stock tumbled by nearly six percent at the start of Thursday’s trading session on the news, which included L Brands estimated fourth quarter results, only to turn positive within the hour. For the fourth quarter, the company is expecting a 10 percent comparable sales decline in the Victoria’s Secret business, while the Bath & Body Works business will likely have gains of 10 percent. The company officially reports earnings on Feb. 26.

Rumors began whirling in January that the struggling lingerie brand might be in need of a new home. At the time, company representatives said they “would not comment on such rumors.”

But offloading Victoria’s Secret from L Brands, which also includes Bath & Body Works and Pink in the greater portfolio, seemed imminent. Sales have been declining at Victoria’s Secret since 2017 and selling the business was perhaps the quickest way to curb losses.

The sale also comes as the deal between activist investor Barington Capital and L Brands is set to expire. Last year, Barington swooped in , pushing the company to revamp its operations, particularly at Victoria’s Secret. ( Barington owned 617,800 shares of L Brands, or roughly 0.2 percent, of the firm as of September.) A compromise was reached with Barington becoming an advisor. But according to the terms of the deal with Sycamore, L Brands has extended its agreement with Barington for another 12 months.

In addition, L Brands has also agreed to a Board refresh . Three Board members — Allan Tessler, Gordon Gee and Raymond Zimmerman — will retire from the Board at the annual shareholders meeting this April. Andrew Meslow will join the Board at the close of the transaction.

Meanwhile, some critics say the standards set by Victoria’s Secret are no longer desirable.

“I’ve seen and watched the evolution of the stores at Victoria’s Secret,” said Helena Kaylin, who worked in research and development, product innovation at Victoria’s Secret back in 2004. “Sort of the golden age of Victoria’s Secret,” she said.

“It’s difficult, because I go to the stores now and I’ve seen this move to, you know, the quality of the fabrics there is not great,” added Kaylin, who recently founded her own intimates brand, MINDD Bras .

Still others say the lingerie brand has fallen out of touch with consumer preferences as shoppers shift towards brands that promote comfort and inclusion.

Heidi Zak, cofounder and co-ceo of lingerie startup ThirdLove, the brand that famously aired its beef with Victoria’s Secret in the public eye , said the sale of Victoria’s Secret, “is a positive step for our industry, which was historically dominated by unrealistic ideals and images of what femininity and sexy should be. Over the last several years, we’ve seen inclusion become table stakes for most modern brands.”

But Leslie H. Wexner , founder and chairman of L Brands, was not going to relinquish control of the company he built and presided over for more than five decades without a fight.

In fact, the company has employed a number of tricks over the last year to reduce losses and perhaps regain customers — such as re-introducing swimwear on the web site, selling smaller intimates brand La Senza and closing Henri Bendel , canceling the annual fashion show and even hiring Victoria’s Secret first plus-size model.

“Victoria’s Secret was Wexner’s baby, there’s no doubt about that,” said Craig Johnson, founder and president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail and consumer consulting firm. “But the world has changed.

Even so, Victoria’s Secret is still the market share leader in women’s intimate apparel , both in the U.S. and internationally — 24 percent of the U.S. market in 2018, down from 32 percent three years earlier, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. Victoria’s Secret alone had more than $7.3 billion in revenues for the 12 months ending in February 2019. That’s in addition to L Brands other lucrative businesses.

“Victoria’s Secret is still a valuable brand,” said Howard Meitiner, managing director at Carl Marks Advisors. “One should not write off a brand like this. When you own 24 percent of a market, you’ve got the base there to rebuild. They have the opportunity to re-introduce themselves to this whole sector of the market because they’re known. And they have the revenue to invest.”

Even so, many argue that it is going to take a new pair of eyes — among many other changes — to turn things around.

“Change and disruption are much more difficult to achieve from within,” Meitiner said. “It’s much more difficult for people within the company to reimagine the concept, because you have people within these companies who were authors of the construct that [currently] exists. It’s much more difficult to be self-critical than it is for new owners to come in and take a fresh look and give management an unencumbered view of how the company needs to change relative to the competition.”

He added that the transformation is going to have to be significant. “They’re not going to be able to get where they need to get incrementally,” Meitiner said. “They have to start with a whole new revisioning. It isn’t easy, which is why they need help. And it’s not going to be done overnight.”

Those changes include reexamining the cost structure, reevaluating the store fleet, updating the merchandise assortment and fixing the marketing and branding of the company’s image. Victoria’s Secret could also work with celebrities or well-known influencers to gain new followers. “It’s too late to have one with Beyonce or Rihanna,” Meitiner said. “But why wouldn’t they do other strategic partnerships?

“The thing about turnarounds in general is that when you’re trying to do a revisioning of a company or a transformation it is an organization-wide effort,” Meitiner continued. “ It’s not just a c-suite thing. It’s every part of the business.”

In the meantime, Wall Street has also been growing increasingly impatient with turnaround plans that are taking longer than originally anticipated.

Shares of L Brands are down more than 9 percent year-over-year — or down nearly 75 percent since the company’s peak in October 2015.

The new owners then have their work cut out for them — and it’s something that might best be done out of the glare of the public eye. Johnson pointed out that going private allows Victoria’s Secret to restructure without investors and competitors watching.

“As a public company, we are held to different standards for communicating,” Wexner said. “I have decided that now is the right time to pass the reins to new leadership.”

But former Victoria’s Secret executive Kaylin said the good news is that “there’s still a lot of opportunity for them to figure that all out. Because they are such a dominant player and I think there are still a lot of people in the United States who love and trust them, especially in some of these smaller towns in the U.S. It’s the one place that they can go and find bras .”

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Brazilian billionaire's superyacht pays a visit to Victoria's Inner Harbour

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The visiting Anawa certainly puts the “super” in superyacht.

The 203-foot-long vessel dwarfed most of the other vessels in Victoria Harbour on Tuesday. The MV Coho is larger at 341 feet, but it doesn’t have the same swag — the Anawa carries its own helicopter on deck.

Anawa was custom-designed and built in 2020 by Damen Yachting. It’s one of the company’s SeaXplorer class of vessels, billed as “long-range, luxury expedition” yachts.

It can carry 12 guests and 15 crew plus a captain, Damen said.

It’s owned by Brazilian billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, according to superfanyacht.com. Forbes.com says the investor-philanthropist lives in Switzerland and is worth $14.8 billion.

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Inside Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s Scottish Retreat

By Madeleine Luckel , Jordi Lippe-McGraw , and Charlotte Collins

Last September, Queen Elizabeth II took her last breath at her beloved Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands with her son King Charles III, grandson Prince William, and other family members by her side. The 96-year-old British monarch had spent the end of the summer there for decades, and after her death, many wondered if King Charles would do the same. But royal traditions are not easily broken, and Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, did in fact make the journey to Balmoral in late August of this year for the customary summer visit to the property. Since their arrival, the pair have watched on in the audience of the storied Highland games and have met up with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a church service, so it’s already been a relatively eventful holiday. According to a palace spokesperson, no official public event commemorating the one year anniversary of the monarch’s death is scheduled, so the king and company may very well just be spending a quiet day of reflection at the Scottish retreat.

Long said to have been Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, the castle, located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is known as the site of the Ghillies Ball, an end-of-summer fête where the royals don tartan and celebrate with their staff, though more intimate family affairs are also held at the estate. The late monarch reportedly enjoyed hosting slumber parties at the castle with a number of her great-grandchildren in her twilight years. In a 2016 ITV documentary on her life, the queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie shared that the Scottish getaway held a special place in the queen’s heart: “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”

The 2023 reception of King Charles III at Balmoral on August 21, 2023, his first summer holiday at the estate after Queen Elizabeth’s 2022 death.

Queen Elizabeth II did a good job of keeping the extravagant dwelling relatively private, but there are a few interesting design details that have slipped out over the years. It also served as the setting of an especially memorable episode in Season 4 of The Crown , aptly titled “The Balmoral Test,” which detailed the painstaking gauntlet of unspoken trials that served as a crucial assessment for outsiders, despite their social rankings as prominent political figures or otherwise esteemed guests of the family. (Princess Diana, reportedly , passed the test with ease, while Margaret Thatcher was said to have fared worse.) Below, we break down what exactly a design buff needs to know about the vacation palace, from its history and architecture to its opulent interiors and the surrounding property.

Where exactly is it?

The estate is located on the right bank of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, near the town of Ballater and not far from the Lochnagar Mountain, a popular hiking destination. Balmoral Castle is roughly 500 miles from Buckingham Palace, a nine-hour drive.

Who owns it?

Though official royal residences like Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace are owned by the Crown Estate, which is funded by British taxpayers, Balmoral is the personal property of King Charles III, as is Sandringham, located in Norfolk, England. King Charles inherited both of them upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Forbes reports that Balmoral is currently valued at a whopping $118 million. The King is not subject to paying any inheritance tax on the property due to a 1993 agreement with the government.

The Queen playing with her children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Balmoral in 1952.

Queen Elizabeth II helps her son Prince Charles to take a picture of his sister, Princess Anne, at Balmoral, Scotland, 1952.

How long has the British royal family had it?

It was first rented in 1848 and was then bought in 1852. It was purchased by Prince Albert for himself and his wife, Queen Victoria, reportedly paying £32,000 to acquire the estate. He bought Balmoral six years after the couple first visited Scotland and it’s been passed down through the royal family ever since.

Balmoral has technically been around since the 15th century, but several additions and renovations over the years have transformed the home into something far different from the original version.

What’s important to know about its architecture?

Its style is considered to be Scottish baronial and Gothic revival . When Prince Albert purchased Balmoral, it was decided that it was too small for the royal family. The prince, Queen Victoria, and their children lived in the castle while a new one was being built. After the project was completed in 1856, the original castle was demolished . The replacement was built by father and son architects John and William Smith , who were both Scots. It was constructed from local granite and organized into two sections, each of which revolves around a courtyard space. A turreted clocktower remains an eye-catching feature to this day.

An aerial image of Balmoral Castle taken in 1954 shows the sprawling grounds, including several landscaped garden areas.

Prince Albert was deeply involved in the design process. He was also responsible for a series of smaller additions to the property, such as the main farmhouse. After the prince’s 1861 death, Queen Victoria had a series of cottages built on the property which are still in use . She built the Garden Cottage for her children, Baile-na-Coille for her servant, and Karim Cottage for her Indian secretary. In 2019, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their kids reportedly stayed in a three-bedroom cottage on the estate called Tam-na-Ghar during a visit.

One of the cottages at Balmoral, Birkhall, belongs to King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. The former inherited it when his grandmother, the Queen Mother, died in 2002, and the couple spent their honeymoon there in 2005.

Today, the 19th-century property is considered a Category A historic building, the highest-valued designation which is reserved for buildings “of national importance.”

What are the interiors like?

Though Balmoral Castle contains numerous rooms, some are particular standouts. One prime example is the ballroom. With gigantic chandeliers, mounted stag heads, and trefoil designs, it’s a masterclass in Scottish Highlands–inspired style.

Illustrations from the 1800s give some sense of what the rooms of Balmoral looked like during Queen Victoria’s heyday. Plaid upholstery, patterned wall coverings, fire screens, carved-wood cabinets, and framed landscapes proliferated. There were also plenty of candelabra—a practical necessity at the time. A study belonging to Prince Albert had a similar aesthetic, down to the plaid carpeting. That personal room also made great use of pretty white floral fabrics and a green wallpaper speckled with white blossoms. Apparently, Prince Albert believed that the interiors of Balmoral should be filled with Highland details such as tartans and chintzes, with trophies and weapons adorning the walls.

A drawing room in Balmoral Castle circa 1885 displays a bold mix of patterns throughout the space, from the wallpaper to the carpeting and the upholstery.

Photographs indicate that dark green appears frequently throughout the residence. There are also mirror-topped marble fireplaces, upholstered chairs with box-pleated skirts, and lots of leather-bound books. Despite the presence of stately clocks and light fixtures, it’s not without its modern-day conveniences—like flat screen televisions. Queen Elizabeth had her own study, which, during the 1970s, was carpeted in that same distinct plaid. That room also includes fine wooden furniture and floral drapes to cover bay windows.

Queen Elizabeth in her study in 1972.

Does it have lavish garden grounds?

As is typical of the royal family’s residences, Balmoral is surrounded by picturesque grounds. The estate is situated on 50,000 acres of land, both rugged Scottish landscape and neatly manicured garden areas. According to the Royal Collection Trust, work on the grounds began in 1855, with Prince Albert taking on an active role. A tradition of beautifying the property has been passed down throughout the dynastic line: Queen Mary, for example, created a flower garden. Nearby, Prince Philip contributed additions of his own.

Photos of the main grounds at Balmoral display meticulously manicured lawns with gardens planted in multiple locations along the property.

When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip took over the estate, the late Duke of Edinburgh took a keen interest in the gardens. His contributions include a vegetable garden, a water garden, a floral walkway, and an oak-filled area. There’s one heartwarming hidden gem out in the wild: a statue of Queen Victoria’s beloved dog, Noble.

A statue commemorating Queen Victoria’s “faithful companion” Noble is located on the grounds at Balmoral.

What is it used for today?

Royal family holidays. The Queen customarily visited Balmoral during the summer. Notably, King Charles III and Princess Diana ended their honeymoon with a stop into the royal residence, after enjoying a cruise around the Mediterranean. Years later in 1997, the queen was at Balmoral when she was informed of Princess Diana’s death. It’s also where King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla isolated toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from being a royal family vacation escape, Balmoral opens its doors to the public from April to July every day, where guests can explore the grounds via guided tours.

The ballroom at Balmoral Castle

Queen Victoria at Balmoral with an unidentified woman

The sitting room of Prince Albert

Queen Elizabeth and her family photographed outside Balmoral Castle in 1960.

The Queen at Balmoral in 2017. She is seen meeting with Canadian governor general designate Julie Payette.

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Who owns The Queen Vic on 'EastEnders' — and who has owned it in the past?

The pub is the centre of Walford life, and the Queen Vic has had a lot of owners — and dramas — over the years.

Being the owner of The Queen Vic in EastEnders certainly carries a lot of kudos on Albert Square. So, it's no wonder the pub has been fought over many times, with characters resorting to all sorts of dirty tricks to get their hands on it.

The legendary boozer is currently owned by Mick and Linda Carter. They’ve been the owners for eight years, bar a period when Sharon Mitchell and Ian Beale took over in 2020. However, Mick and Linda snatched it back in February this year.

Such quick changes aren’t unusual. As in all soaps, business and property transactions take place in the blink of an eye in Walford, with rarely a solicitor or an estate agent in sight.

Of course, a battle for the Vic keeps the drama coming for the show. Add to that the whim of new producers who want to put their stamp on the Square and it's no wonder The Vic has seen a myriad of bosses over the decades. Perhaps the next owners might want to think about just installing a revolving door?

Here’s our breakdown of who’s helmed the famous pub over the years…

1985-88 The Den and Angie Years

A smile for the punters and a snarl for each other was Den and Angie’s signature style. They took over the pub in the mid-seventies, and by the time we first joined them in 1985 they were a formidable team, despite their backstage barneys. While Angie flirted over the bar to get the punters to put their hands in their pockets, Den leapt over it to deal with any who got handy with their fists. Meanwhile, a teenage Sharon was taking it all in and biding her time…

Notable staff  

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Loveable loser Lofty Holloway; heartthrob Simon ‘Wicksy’ Wicks; Kathy Beale.

Notable events

Nick Cotton puts his fist through the window in the show’s first ever ‘duff duff’.

Teenage Michelle Fowler conceives on the pub floor during a one-night stand with Den.  

Den presents Angie with divorce papers on Christmas Day after discovering she’d been lying about having a terminal illness.

The pub sees its first death, as Potman Tom Clement has a heart attack in the gentlemen's loos.

After her split with Den, Angie departed to run rival yuppie boozer The Dagmar with slimy Wilmott-Brown. Den moved in his snooty mistress, Jan, but she was hardly a hit with the punters. Soon Angie came back, but she left for Spain after tricking Den to signing over the pub to Pat and Frank.

1988-1990 The Pat and Frank Years

Reunited after 30 years apart, Frank Butcher and Pat Wicks sealed their rekindled love by taking over The Vic. Frank was full of joie de vivre, your amiable host in a cable knit jumper. Pat had more front than Clacton, and could still turn on the charm with the fellas. They moved Frank’s kids, Ricky and Diane, into the pub.

Notable staff

Kathy’s long-lost daughter Donna Ludlow; Tracey ‘the barmaid’, who had been seen on the flower stall since 1985, made her Vic debut during this era.

Pat and Frank marry and host a cockney knees-up outside the pub.

With the addition of young and troublesome Janine to the Butcher family, Frank and Pat decided to buy the B&B, giving them more time to devote to her. Sharon and Wicksy took over the day-to-day running, but the brewery soon put in a more experienced manager…

1990-91 The Eddie Royle Years

Ex-policeman Eddie has the tough qualities needed to keep the punters in line, but his former profession doesn’t go down well with many of the locals. Luckily, live-in barmaid Sharon has the looks to keep them coming back. Eddie later moved in his fiancé Elbhin O’Connor.

Notable staff Clyde Tavernier

Notable events Eddie propositions Sharon, and when Grant finds out he beats him up which puts Eddie in hospital.

Bar Wars Eddie’s reign came to a sudden end, after Nick Cotton stabbed him dead in the middle of the Square. Soon Sharon’s time finally came…

1991-2001 The Mitchell Years Part 1

Sharon was in her element running the Vic, with hubby Grant and brother Phil a handy back up. When Sharon later departed the Vic, Peggy stepped in, bringing true EastEnd warmth to the pub.

Notable staff Grant’s second wife, Tiffany and his lover Lorraine Wicks.

Notable events Grants sets fire to the pub to claim money on the insurance, not knowing that Sharon is trapped inside.

Grant plays the infamous 'Sharongate' tape revealing his wife’s affair with Phil.

Bianca gives birth to her son, Liam.

The punters ‘enjoy the fireworks’ as Peggy exposes hubby Frank’s fling with Pat.

Bar Wars During a feud with Peggy, Phil sold his share of the Vic to local gangster Dan Sullivan, but later won it back. When Frank fled and left wife Peggy in debt, she was forced to sell her beloved boozer.

2001-2002 The Sharon Years Part 1

“Hello Peggy, bet you didn’t expect to see me back here again,” gloated Sharon as she revealed herself as the new owner of the Vic. At first, Sharon was flying solo, but she later reunited with Phil.

Little Mo’s abusive hubby Trevor Morgan.

Charlie beats up his brother Harry after learning he raped Kat as a child.

Bar Wars Sharon originally co-owned with Steve Owen, but he eventually sold his share to Phil. The death of her mum, Angie, saw Sharon rethink her life, and she decided to leave the bad memories of the pub behind. But someone was ready to step in…

2002-2004 The Alfie and Kat Years Part 1

Charming bar manager Alfie Moon and upfront barmaid Kat were a perfect combination to take the helm of the Vic. So, when new owners Peggy and Phil both departed Walford for a time, the pub was in safe hands.

Notable Staff

Alfie’s little brother, Spencer.

Barmaid Mo Mitchell is raped by customer Graham Foster.

Kat and Alfie marry on Christmas Day. Bar Wars

With Sam left to run the Michell businesses, recently-returned-from-the-dead Den (that's another story) took advantage, and conned her to get his hands on the Vic. The Moons were ousted on Christmas Eve in a heart-breaking Christmas tragedy.

2004-2005 The Watts years

Den was back where he belonged, and installed his own family into boozer, including his wife, Chrissie. But once again for Den, while the pub was thriving, behind the scenes things were far from rosy.

Den’s son – and Sharon’s lover – Dennis Rickman; Chrissie’s lover Jake Moon.

Notable events Den is murdered by his second wife Chrissie. His body is buried under the cellar of the pub, but later dug up by Sam Mitchell, haunted by her part in the killing…

Bar wars! After the discovery of Den’s body, Chrissie attempted to sell the pub to Ian, but the sale was declared void and the pub went to Den’s heir – Sharon – who sold it to Peggy.

 2005-2009 The Mitchell Years Part 3

The Mitchells return saw the addition of Peggy’s feisty nieces Roxy and Ronnie, who brought a big, bold, blonde injection of new life to the pub. Meanwhile, their dad Archie seemed to be a charming host. But as always, dark secrets festered…

Sean Slater, later to be Roxy’s husband; Dawn Swann

At the wedding of Peggy and Archie, Ronnie discovers that Danielle Jones is her daughter – but moments later Danielle is run over and killed outside the pub.

Stacey Slater murders Archie with the Queen Vic bust.

Bradley Branning dies in a fall from the roof of the Vic.

An argument with Peggy sees Phil, while high on crack, burn down the pub.

Bar wars! Before his murder, Archie along with new fiancée Janine, briefly snatched the pub. Roxy then inherited the Vic from her dad, but soon realised she couldn’t cope and gave control back to Peggy.

2010-2013 The Kat and Alfie Years Part 2

The boozer was given a fresh new look after the fire, but there was something reassuringly familiar about the faces behind the bar as Phil rented the pub to Alfie and Kat.

Alfie’s uncle Eddie and cousin Tyler.

Kat’s baby Tommy is born in the barrel store, but days later Ronnie, blinded by grief, swaps her deceased baby James with Tommy.

Bar Wars! Kat’s affair with Derek Branning saw Alfie move on with Roxy, who became the new landlady. Phil later decided to sell the Vic and Janine was all lined up to buy it until she was arrested. But Phil had another buyer waiting in the wings…

2013-2020 The Carter Years part 1

The Carter family –­ Mick, Linda, kids Nancy, Johnny and later Lee – brought a traditional ‘faamily’ feel to the pub for the first time since the Butchers and their teenage kids. Like Pat and Frank, Mick and Linda remained together (give or take the odd hiccup) and fought their crises as a combined force. Not that that they had any less drama than previous landlords…

Stacey Fowler; Callum Highway.

Linda is raped by her nephew, Dean Wicks.

Mick’s mum, Sylvie, dies after being electrocuted in the bath.

Abi Branning dies after falling from the roof. Bar wars! After the freehold was sold to an outside company, new bar manager Fi Browning was installed and made sweeping changes. However, regretful Max, who had set up the shady deal, wangled the deeds back. Following Linda’s battle with booze, Mick decided to move out of the pub. He was due to sell to Phil until another offer arrived…

 2020 - 2021 The Sharon Years Part 2

Together with Ian, Sharon took over the pub. But with Sharon knowing Ian’s part in the death of her son, Denny, she was secretly plotting revenge on him.

Mick Carter

Ian is attacked and left for dead by Phil as part of Sharon’s plot, and she later starts secretly poisoning him…

Realising Mick was adrift without his pub, Linda wanted it back – and Max, smitten with Linda, managed to blackmail Phil into having Sharon sign it over.

2021–Present The Carter Years Part 2

And here we are in the present day, the Carters are back behind the bar, and all seem good in the world. We’ll see how long that lasts, shall we?

Frankie, Mick’s long—lost daughter. 

Notable events Linda gives birth to baby Annie.

EastEnders airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.35pm and Fridays at 8.30pm on BBC One - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

Steven is a writer, editor, and commentator with a passion for popular TV and soap operas. He spent 20 years as the editor of Inside Soap magazine, documenting every punch-up and pucker-up in the Street, the Square and the village. As a feature writer, he’s covered TV crime dramas, period dramas and even some real-life star dramas. He’s been seen as a talking head on more TV clip shows than he cares to remember, has a life-long passion for TV sci-fi – the older and creakier the better – and is a slight obsessive about any reality show featuring hotels.

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