EastEnders star Kellie Bright emotionally opens up about her endless ‘battle’ raising her 12-year-old autistic son Freddie

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Kellie Bright has shared her experiences with the ongoing challenges of raising her 12-year-old son, Freddie, who is autistic.

The 49-year-old actress, famous for playing Linda Carter on the soap opera EastEnders, shared that her son is one of the 1.7 million children in England with special educational needs and disabilities.

This term describes people with a range of conditions, such as physical disabilities and differences in brain function like ADHD – a condition her son also experiences.

Kellie, a mother of three and wife of Paul Stocker, shared her struggles in an emotional interview on BBC Radio 4, saying that life feels like a constant battle and nothing is easy.

‘No one is there saying, ‘oh yes, I can see that this need is here and let me help you with that’.

Raising a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is incredibly demanding, and it’s no surprise that parents and caregivers often feel completely worn out. It often feels like a constant struggle.

I keep hearing people say that things suddenly get much harder around the age of sixteen.

The law requires children to stay in some form of education until they turn 18.

‘Then why on earth would those provisions be taken away at 16? I just can’t get my head around it.’

Last year, Kellie investigated the challenges parents encounter with the current system in her BBC Panorama documentary.

If parents think their child needs extra help in school that’s legally guaranteed, they have to apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan, or EHCP. The application process can be very time-consuming, taking her and her husband several hours to complete.

Many people know me from my role as Linda Carter on EastEnders, but I’m also a mother to a son who is autistic. He also faces the challenges of dyslexia and ADHD.

My husband and I worked tirelessly for months to find the best education for our son, and it often felt like a real struggle.

The actress explained that her son’s difficulties inspired her to create the Panorama film, hoping to raise awareness about how challenging the process can be.

She shared that she made the film for Panorama to connect with other families facing similar challenges, and to discuss with educators, local authorities, and the government how children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are taught in England.

My husband and I spent a lot of time completing the application for an Education, Health and Care Plan, and we know many other families feel the same way – it can be a really frustrating process.

Kellie learned that the government is planning significant changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England, but the details aren’t confirmed yet.

Oh my gosh, I was there when Georgia Gould, the Schools Minister, spoke to the actress! It was amazing! She basically said they’re finally going to start helping kids sooner – like, getting support in right from the beginning. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for, honestly! I nearly fainted!

We want to ensure that the support systems established for those who have advocated for them remain available.

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2026-02-10 21:04