Letitia Dean (born in Wild Hill near Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, November 14, 1967) is an English actress, probably best known for her role as Sharon Watts in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Early Life and Acting Career

Letitia Dean was born in Hertfordshire to parents Leslie and Ellie Dean, in a cottage rented on the grand estate of the late British romantic novelist Barbara Cartland, known as 'Camfield Place'. The third of three children, Letitia picked up a penchant for performing at an early age. Both Letitia and her older brother Stephen Dean attended dance school in the village where they lived, and this later prompted Letitia's successful application to attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone London, which has famously produced some of Britain's most familiar television and musical stars. Other renown students who attended the Sylivia Young theatre school are presenter and actresses Denise Van Outen, Billie Piper, Samantha Janus and Keeley Hawes; fellow eastenders Daniella Westbrook, Perry Fenwick, Nick Berry and Tamsin Outhwaite; and singers and musicians such as ex Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Matt Jay from Busted and the Appleton sisters. Letitia stayed at the school as a full-time student for several years learning her trades of acting, singing and dancing.

Letitia's first Television appearance came when she was just 11 in 1978, where she played a student named Lucinda in the English BBC childrens television series, Grange Hill. It was here where she met and became firm friends with fellow actress Susan Tully, who she would later go on to act closely with in Eastenders. Her next television role was a part in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside in 1984. Soon after she was cast as one of the original cast members of the new BBC soap opera Eastenders. Interestingly Letitia lied about her roots to get the part in the soap. As the casting directors were only looking for real 'East end' actors, Letitia falsely claimed that she was born and raised in Hackney East London. The lie paid off and she got the part.

Life In Eastenders

She played Sharon Watts, the troubled and spoilt daughter of landlord 'Dirty' Den Watts and Angie Watts, from the show's inception in 1985 until 1995. Initial storylines centred around the difficulties Sharon faced growing up with an adulterous, over-protective father and an alcoholic mother. Struggling to grow up in this environment Sharon was constantly torn between the two. Bombshells such as best friend Michelle Fowlers confession that she was pregnant to her father, finding out she was adopted, as well as her own fathers murder helped to shape the character of Sharon into a strong, determined person with a hidden vulnerability. On her initial stint in the show Letitia featured in some of the soaps most renown storylines, including the infamous ménage á trois with her then husband Grant Mitchell and his brother Phil Mitchell (nicknamed Sharongate), which gave the soap one of its highest episode ratings and was watched by over 18.4 million viewers. Growing up in the public eye was hard for Letitia, and the constant media attention on her appearance, particularly her fluctuating weight, was especially tough given her young and susceptible age. Letitia has since stated that her self-confidence was damaged during this time, and this, as well as back pain, contributed to her decision to get a breast reduction

in her teens.

Growing up on screen in the 80's has also meant that Letitia has had to endure haunting images of herself dressed in over the top, less than flattering 80's clothes. The image of Letitia wearing a fluffy pink, off the shoulder jumper, is one of the most recognisible, trademark images in eastenders history. Despite embracing her younger years now, at the time Letitia hated the jumper so much that she burnt it!

During her time on the show Letitia even managed minor musical chart success with fellow 'Eastender' Paul Medford who played Kelvin Carpenter. A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show prompted them to release a single entitled 'Something Outta Nothing', which made number 12 in the UK Top 40 in November 1986.

However, despite her popularity on the show, a desire to persue other acting roles and to escape the press attention surrounding her role, prompted Letitia to leave the soap in 1995.

Other Acting Roles

Letitia in ITV drama Lucy Sullivan is getting Married 1999

After Leaving Eastenders, Letitia had various theatre and television roles including a starring role as 'nurse Fay' in the Joe Orton comedy play, Loot, playing alongside fellow EastEnder Michael Elphick (who played Harry Slater). Letitia also starred in in BBC Dramas 'The Hello Girls' - set in a Derby telephone exchange in the 1960s; Medical drama's Casualty and Doctors; the ITV police drama The Bill and romantic comedy 'Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married'; as well as the Channel 4 sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey. She also starred in the 1995 film 'England, My England', which told the story of the musician & court composer Henry Purcell. Fellow EastEnder Lucy Speed, who played Natalie Evans in the hit soap, also starred.

As well as television work Letitia regularly appears in seasonal pantomimes. In 2001 she starred as Snow White at The Orchard in Dartford; and In 2004 she starred in Jack and the Beanstalk at The Birmingham Hippodrome, alongside British comedians Joe Pasquale and Don Maclean. Letitia and other EastEnders stars such as Steve McFadden are rumoured to have a special clause in their EastEnders contracts that permits them time off from filming to star in Panto each year.

Eastenders Round 2

Six years after her initial exit, Letitia was lured back to Eastenders, where she reprised the role of Sharon Watts (landlady of the Queen Vic), from 2001 to 2004, and again in 2005.

Since her return Letita's character has again been the focus of many controversial and popular storylines, including the 'resurrection' of her infamous father Den Watts played by Leslie Grantham, believed to be dead, only to reappear very much alive 14 years later; the unveiling of her father's killer, Chrissie Watts; the reppearance of ex-husband Grant Mitchell played by Ross Kemp; and her 'forbidden love' and eventual marriage to adoptive brother Dennis Rickman (now deceased) played by Nigel Harman (a popular storyline that has been nicknamed Shannis ( a portmanteau of Sharon and Dennis) by eastenders fans and other media). Letitia is currently on another hiatus from Eastenders, but is expected to return sometime in 2006 (BBC3 Letitia screenshot).

Letitia has had several exits or 'extended breaks' from the show in recent years, and each time there has been much press speculation over whether Letitia has quit permanently or whether she is just taking a scheduled break. In early 2005 the Sunday Mirror reported that one time executive producer, (Kathleen Hutchinson), offered to double Letitia's salary from £150,000 a year to £300,000 a year, in order to persuade Letitia to remain in the show. If true this would make Letitia one of the highest paid actresses in British soap.

At the 2005 Inside soap awards, Letita was presented with the coveted award for 'outstanding achievement' as homage to her work in Eastenders, which she has been in (on and off) for over 20 years (since the age of 16). In 2004 she was nominated for the Best actress award at the British Soap Awards, but lost out to Suranne Jones from Coronation Street.

Personal Life

In 2002 Letitia married media executive 'Jason Pethers' at 'The All Saints Church' in Marylebone. Susan Tully, who played her on screen best-friend Michelle Fowler in EastEnders, was a Bridesmaid at the wedding. In true East-end style Letitia's guests were treated to transportation in old fashioned London buses. Many of Letitia's fellow cast-mates from EastEnders (past and present) attended the wedding including: Wendy Richard, Barbara Windsor, Pam St Clement, Steve McFadden, Gillian Taylforth, June Brown, Lucy Benjamin, Adam Woodyatt, Anna Wing, Todd Carty, Ricky Groves, Hannah Waterman, Laila Morse and on-screen mum Anita Dobson.

Letitia states that nowadays she is a lot more comfortable in her own skin, and far more relaxed about public interest than she used to be as a teenager. She has said that "Being in my thirties is a much more comfortable place to be. I have stopped pleasing people - and I`m calmer and more self assured than I`ve ever been".

Trivia

• As well as acting Letitia is a keen singer (with a mezzo-soprano voice) and tap dancer.

• Letitia once dated Irish comedian Ed Byrne.

• Letitia was originally going to be called Caroline, but moments before her christening, a neighbour visited her parents and they fell in love with the womans name - Letitia.

• Letita was born on the grounds of Dame Barbara Cartland's estate. When her mother was about to give birth, she was sent an unusual gift by Dame Cartland -an old wooden door! which she was meant to place under her bed to help posture and comfort while she was in labour.

• Letitia is close friends with Susan Tully, who she initially met on the Grange Hill set in 1984, and went on to play best-friend Michelle Fowler in Eastenders. She and Susan are still close to this day. Susan was Bridesmaid at Letitia's wedding in 2002.

• Letitia burnt Sharon's early trademark fluffy pink jumper

• Letitia is one of only 3 original cast-members left in Eastenders. The others are Wendy Richard who plays Pauline Fowler and Adam Woodyatt who plays Ian Beale.

Television & Film

• Grange Hill (1978)
• Brookside (1984)
• EastEnders (1985–95, 2001–2004, 2005–)
• Casualty (1995)
• The Bill (1997)
• The Hello Girls (1997–98)
• Drop the Dead Donkey (1998)
• England, My England(1995)
• Doctors (2000)
• Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married (1999)