Shameless star to join EastEnders

Former Shameless star Maggie O'Neill is to join the cast of EastEnders as Phil Mitchell's love interest.

The actress, who played Sheila in the gritty Northern comedy drama, will play Suzy Branning, Max and Jack's sister.

The new character, arriving in July, is "glamorous and independent", and sets her sights on Walford hardman Phil.

O'Neill said: "The Brannings are a great family and I'm excited to become one of them. Suzy is a woman to be reckoned with."

The Brannings have played a central role in EastEnders in recent years, culminating in Tanya's bid to bury husband Max alive.

'Top drawer addition'

This was prompted by a slow-burning storyline in which Max had an affair with Stacey Slater - his eldest son's wife.

O'Neill, who appeared in Shameless until last year, also won critical acclaim for her leading role in 1989 drama Take Me Home, in which she played a young woman having an affair with a much older married man.

Diederick Santer, executive producer of EastEnders, said the actress was "yet another top drawer addition to our wonderful cast".

The BBC soap has also announced that actress Emma Barton will be leaving the show after her character Honey Mitchell is written out later this year.

The character's first baby Janet was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, which she initially struggled to come to terms with.