EastEnders Shona McGarty and the Albert Square teens get a glamorous makeover in time for Christmas

Her character’s idea of glamour is some sneaky drinks down the Queen Vic before an emotional meltdown on Arthur’s bench.

Now Shona McGarty, who plays tracksuit-loving Whitney Dean in Eastenders, has ditched chip-shop chic for show-stopping glamour after you have an advanced makeover in time for Christmas.

McGarty, 20, gave the impression of she’d taken a visit ‘up ‘West’ to buy the beautiful floor-length Grecian gown by Anoushka G, which hugged her enviable curves in all of the right places.

Scrub up well: The young cast from left to right: Tony Discipline (Tyler Moon), Jacqueline Jossa (Lauren Branning), Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean), Danielle Harold (Lola Pearce) and Matt Lapinskas (Anthony Moon)

The pretty actress posed with fellow Walford cast members Danielle Harold, who plays Lola Pearce, Jacqueline
Jossa, who plays Tanya and Max’s tearaway daughter Lauren Branning, Matt Lapinskas who plays Anthony Moon and Tony
Discipline, who plays loveable Tyler Moon.

The young team were treated to the makeover for an exclusive shoot and interview in Now Magazine where they talk wardrobe malfunctions, red-carpet disasters and working with their new-found fame.

The cast posed contained in the Queen’s Head pub, a fancy establishment in North London with gilded frames and parquet flooring – a complete universe clear of the dingy Queen Vic.

McGarty, who oozed old Hollywood glamour within the shoot, revealed she ‘quite likes’ the eye fame brings her or even had a pleasant word to mention concerning the paparazzi.

They are ‘nice those who are just doing their jobs. It’s a part of the job,’ she said.

Lights, camera, glamour! McGarty, left, and Discipline, right, lounge in a really stylish pub – the Queen’s Head

Not a tomato juice in sight: Lapinskas, left, shakes up a cocktail well-liked for pretty-in-pink Jossa, right

Despite
her fabulous makeover, Danielle Harold, 19,
who looked stunning in a floor-length cream gown by Coast and ideal up-do, hasn’t had a smooth introduction to the area of red-carpet glamour.

‘I went to my first ever premier. Earlier than i used to be about to move
out of the door I sat in mascara and got all of it over my light grey
dress,’ she said.

‘I scrubbed it off, but then I had watermarks far and wide it. If that
wasn’t bad enough, I walked out the door and got my heel stuck in a
grate. I spent the full time seeking to cover up the mark on my dress
with my clutch. Everyone need to have thought i used to be crazy!’

Ice queen: Danielle Harold looks stunning in a floor-length cream, strapless gown and excellent up-do – a global far from her Walford character

…And the way they normally look on screen: McGarty as troubled Whitney Dean in trademark tracksuit, left, Jossa as Lauren Branning, centre, and Harold as Lola Pearce, right

New moons: Lapinskas as Anthony Moon, left, his on-screen father Eddie, played by David Essex, centre and Discipline as Tyler Moon, right

Read the complete feature in Now Magazine out today

Meanwhile Jacqueline
Jossa, 19, who looked pretty-in-pink taffeta also by Anoushka G,
added: ‘The day before the Soap Awards I got a sprig tan after which tried on
my dress.

‘When I took it off I realised I’d covered the back of it in
fake tan! I still wore it though.’

However
the fan-mail she was receiving is outwardly less appealing.

She
added: ‘Some once sent me a Black & Decker drill. I’ve no idea why.’

Keeping in relation to fan-mail,
Matt Lapinskas, 24, revealed: ‘I get
marriage proposals and folk wanting my babies, but nothing really
bizarre.’

But lucky for
the fans, Matt’s mum is readily available. ‘My mum makes sure I reply.

‘I
come down within the morning and she or he’s like: “i would like this many cards signed
for these people.” It’s like she’s my PA.

‘I’ll need to start paying her
soon,’ he said.

Tony
Discipline, 22, also gets a lot of female attention.

He said: ‘Matt and that i did the Radio 1 Teen Choice Awards and had 10,000
people screaming at us. It was mental. i believe I wet myself.’ 

• The whole interview is inside the new issue of Now magazine, on sale now.