List of Shameless Characters - Current Main Characters - Gallagher Family - Monica Gallagher

• Played by: Annabelle Apsion (Series 1, 3, 4–6, 8, 11-Present)

Monica Gallagher (born 24 April 1963) is Frank's estranged wife, and the mother of Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Carl, Debbie, Liam and Stella. She is bisexual and left Frank for a lorry driver named Norma. She came home at the end of series 1 but had left by the start of series 2, she then returned for good at the beginning of series 4 and resumed co-habiting with Frank. Although her intentions for this were unknown at first, a visit from her mother in series 5 explained her backstory and a possible reason of why she returned to be with her children. Monica announced at the beginning of series 5 that she was pregnant again, giving birth to Stella at the end of the series. She has two known grandchildren, an unnamed child from Fiona when she left in Series 2, and Lip's daughter, Katie.

When she returned home in series 1 and series 3, her children, apart from Carl, treated her with nothing but suspicion and hostility for leaving them with Frank. Fiona (in series 1) and Debbie (in series 4-6) were especially hostile since they were the ones who were forced to take on the household duties. Even when Monica returned for an extended stay, Debbie was still the one to look after Liam and to an extent, her older brothers. Although Monica wanted to be a good mother, and was shown doing some household chores, laziness prevented her from being any real help.

In series 6, feeling unloved by her children and Frank, Monica left once again.

Monica returned in series 8, upon the news that her daughter, Debbie, has been killed. She acted the same way with Frank's new partner, Libby, as she earlier did with Sheila. It soon became apparent that the death was a hoax set up by Monica and her civil parter, a psychiatric nurse called Milly, who dresses up as an army officer and tells Libby that Debbie was killed in Afghanistan. Monica looked set to claim back her family, even going as far as to demand custody of her youngest children and, when Frank and Libby were reunited, Monica admitted that the reason she returned was truly for Frank as he was the one and she would "always come back". However, Frank knew that she would leave again, the same as she did before to him and to Norma and wouldn't let her ruin another of his relationships, so chose to stay with Libby. It was then revealed that Liam had decided to live with Monica permanently so he could help her to see love inside herself.

On 9th January 2013, it was announced that Monica would be returning for the eleventh and final series. She, along with many other past characters, will return for the full 14 episodes of the series.