Kellie Bright: Who is EastEnders actress married to and how many children to they have? Soap star in new Panorama documentary

In tonight’s episode of Panorama, actress Kellie Bright will take a break from Albert Square as she presents a documentary show on the pressure parents of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) children feel in the fight to get the correct education for their children.

Kellie, who is best known as Linda Carter on the BBC soap, has been open in the past about being a SEND parent and her experience in getting an assessment for her son.

As the EastEnders actress looks at the issue in-depth in tonight’s episode of Panorama: Kellie Bright - Autism, School and Families on the Edge, here’s everything you need to know about the star.

Who is Kellie Bright married to - how many kids do they have?

Kellie Bright married her long-term partner Paul Stocker in July 2014. The pair had been together for years and shared one child together before tying the knot.

Paul even appeared in one episode of EastEnders alongside Kellie. He appeared as a robber who threatened Kellie’s character of Linda Carter inside the Queen Vic in a 2021 episode of the soap. His inclusion came as a result of strict Covid social distancing rules at the time of filming, which meant that as they were from the same household he was able to physically interact with his wife onscreen.

Kellie and Paul share three children together. Their first - Freddy - was born in December 2021. They had two more children - Gene, born in November 2016, and Rudy, born in July 2021 - both of whom were born through IVF treatment.

Kellie has previously spoken about 12-year-old Freddy’s diagnosis of autism, ADHD and dyslexia and his special educational needs (SEN). The actress previously spoke about the lengthy process of getting an Educational Health Care (EHC) assessment during a segment on The One Show earlier this year.

She said: “Last year, he was at the point of leaving primary school and transitioning to secondary school and we knew he would need extra support. You need to fill in lengthy forms and present reams of evidence and there can be a long wait to find out if your child is even being assessed. Many, like my son, are turned down on the first try.”

Kellie has also spoken on social media about the family’s struggle with the EHC assessment system. She told her followers on Instagram in December 2023: “I am the mother of a child with SEN. For those of you that don’t know, that's Special Educational Needs. It's also called SEND, which is Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

"Myself and my husband have been fighting for an EHC assessment since March of this year. We were initially turned down. We then tried mediation and they just didn’t come back to us with a date at all, and so we then pursued an appeal. And we were in the middle of an appeal process going to a paper tribunal, which would have been at the end of December, beginning of January. About three or four weeks ago we had to resubmit all of our paperwork to our local authority and to the tribunal."

She added that they eventually for an email saying that they agreed to assess her son, with an emotional Kellie telling her followers: “The reason I wanted to put this on here is to say that if you are also a mother of a SEND child and you are fighting for an EHCP assessment, don’t stop fighting. Don’t give up when they say 'no'. Keep going, just keep going.

“There are lots of people out there that can help you, and I truly believe that every child has the right to be supported and helped through our education system. They have the right to an education that meets their needs. And I am really happy, but I have cried a lot of tears. It feels like a momentous day. So good luck anyone else who's in the same position.”

Panorama: Kellie Bright - Autism, School and Families on the Edge is available to watch now on the BBC iPlayer. You can also catch a live broadcast of the documentary film on BBC One at 8pm on Monday, October 6.