Another love story has come to an end for EastEnders favorite Shona McGarty.
Just over a year after her romantic proposal in London’s Holland Park, the actress has reportedly split from her fiancé, Irish guitarist David Bracken.
The pair, who first met in 2023 through TikTok when David reached out to collaborate on a song, have now decided to call off their engagement.
Despite parting ways, sources close to them say the breakup was amicable, with no hard feelings on either side.
A Peaceful Split After a Whirlwind Romance
According to insiders, the decision to end their engagement was mutual.
“They are on friendly terms but have ended their romantic relationship,” one source shared.
“There are no hard feelings—they simply realized they wanted different things. Shona is now focusing on her music and career.”
The news marks the end of what many fans thought would be a fairy-tale romance.
Daily Mail reached out to Shona’s representatives for comment, though no official statement has yet been made.
The Proposal That Almost Didn’t Happen
Their engagement in 2024 was nothing short of magical—despite a few unexpected hiccups.
David had planned to propose during a romantic picnic in Kyoto Garden, the tranquil Japanese-themed corner of Holland Park.
But as fate would have it, police showed up just as he was about to pop the question.
Speaking to OK! Magazine last year, David shared the story: “The police said they were closing the park, and I had to ask them for five more minutes because I was about to propose.
Thankfully, they agreed and even wished me luck.”
He then asked Shona to stand by the waterfall, played their favorite song, and danced with her before getting down on one knee.
Shona later described the moment as “beautiful” and said she was completely surprised.
“It was lovely. I was in my element—but I had no idea he was going to propose,” she recalled.
A Love That Once Felt “Different”
At the time, Shona, 34, couldn’t stop gushing about her new fiancé.
The actress, who played Whitney Dean on EastEnders for over 16 years, said she knew David was “the one” because their relationship felt so different from her past experiences.
The pair had even begun planning their wedding, looking at color schemes and possible locations.
They hoped to marry in 2025—possibly around Christmas—and wanted the ceremony to take place in Ireland, where both have family ties.
Shona also hinted that many of her EastEnders co-stars would be invited, calling them “a big part of our journey.”
From Social Media Sparks to Soft Launch Romance
Their love story first became public in September 2023 when Shona “soft-launched” their relationship with a black-and-white photo of their hands intertwined.
David’s distinctive tattoo could be seen in the shot, and she captioned it with a heartfelt John Lennon quote: “Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given, never forgotten, never let it disappear.”
Just days earlier, David had shared the same photo with his own message: “A promise is a promise. Never to be broken. #happy #happyplace.”
Focusing on the Future
Now, with their engagement behind her, Shona is turning her attention to her music career and personal growth.
Friends say she’s doing well and looking forward to what’s next.
While her relationship with David Bracken may have come to an end, it seems the actress is ready for a new chapter—one filled with creativity, independence, and self-discovery.