What happened to Dean Wicks in EastEnders?
12 August 2020, 17:36
What happened with Dean Wicks and Linda Carter on EastEnders and where is actor Matt Di Angelo now?
Dean Wicks made his debut on EastEnders back in January 2006, when he arrived in Walford with his sister Carly.
Actor Matt Di Angelo continued to play the son of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) until 2008, when he left Walford for a new life in Australia.
He returned six years later with his grandfather Stan (Timothy West) and went on to open a salon called Blades.
After briefly dating Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and getting into a relationship with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) Deano becomes obsessed with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and went on to rape her.
So what happened to Dean in EastEnders and did he admit to raping Linda? Here’s the lowdown…
What happened to Dean Wicks on EastEnders?
In August 2014 it was revealed that Dean would rape Linda in a heartbreaking storyline after having developed an obsession for her in the months following his return.
Linda didn’t tell anyone about the ordeal to begin with, but was mentally traumatised, especially after discovering she was pregnant.
Read More: EastEnders Carter family: What's next for Mick and Linda when the soap returns?
After finding out the truth, Stacey dumped Deano and later persuaded Linda to tell her husband Mick (Danny Dyer), which she finally did on Christmas Day 2014.
The revelation caused a split amongst the family, with Shirley and Stan refusing to believe Linda.
Dean was only arrested after he also tried to rape ex Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simmons), but his trial took place off-screen and he was acquitted of all charges.
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Charity Rape Crisis went on to praise EastEnders for letting Dean walk away without charge.
A post on the soap’s blog by Rebecca Hitchen, operations co-ordinator at Rape Crisis South London, explained: “We may be angry and frustrated by the fact that Dean does not get the comeuppance he deserves and be shocked that he has got away with his crimes again.
“We know that he is a rapist and that he is a serial offender, and we can predict that he will continue to perpetrate his crimes against women, wherever he ends up.
“But it is an important reality to face, that far too often rapists are not convicted; and justice is not realised. This is why additional support, and other ways to have their voices heard, are so crucial for survivors.”
Where is actor Matt Di Angelo now?
After leaving EastEnders, 33-year-old Matt was cast in the second series of Ordinary Lies.
He also got engaged to his long-term girlfriend Sophia Perry last year.
After five years together, Matt popped the question to wedding planner Sophia in the Dominican Republic.
He previously dated professional dancer Flavia Cacace after the pair met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, but they split three years later.
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