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Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress best known as Sharon Watts in EastEnders. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2012. For her portrayal of Sharon, she was awarded the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2022.
Her other television roles include Grange Hill (1983–1984), Brookside (1984), The Hello Girls (1996–1998) and Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married (1999–2000). In 2007, she participated in the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing, finishing fourth. On stage, she starred in the West End production of High School Musical in 2008, and in the UK touring production of Calendar Girls in 2010.
Dean's family moved to the north Buckinghamshire village of Stoke Goldington near Newport Pagnell when she was three years old. She acquired a penchant for performing at an early age; both she and her older brother Stephen attended a local dance school, the Sylvia Mitchell School of Dance and they also performed a dance act together on stage. This later prompted Dean's successful application to attend the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts at ten years old and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, London." Sylvia Young Theatre School notable Alumni ", Sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk. URL last accessed on 20 December 2006.
Between the ages of 13 and 17, Dean appeared in numerous television programmes, including: Love Story; Tales Out Of School; the Matthew Kelly sitcom Relative Strangers;" DEAN, Letitia filmography", BFI. URL last accessed on 10 October 2007. Grange Hill, playing a student named Lucinda Oliver (credited as Titia Dean);" Grange Hill cast list ", museum.tv. URL last accessed on 20 December 2006. and the role of Dawn in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside." Brookside facts", Brookesidesoapbox.co.uk. URL last accessed on 20 December 2006.
Dean's character Sharon, the troubled and spoilt adopted daughter of landlords Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson), has become one of the most popular and long-running characters in the serial." EastEnders In Crisis: I CAN'T GO SHAR ON ", Sunday Mirror. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007. She featured in one of the soap's most popular storylines in 1994, a love triangle featuring Sharon, her husband Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and his brother Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). The plot, nicknamed "Sharongate", gave the soap one of its highest episode ratings in October 1994 with over 25.3 million viewers." Profiles: EastEnders Kemp and McFadden", BBC. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006. A desire to pursue other acting roles prompted Dean to leave the soap in 1995.
During her first stint on EastEnders, she forayed into singing with her fellow EastEnders castmate, Paul Medford (who played Kelvin Carpenter). A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in EastEnders (known as The Banned) prompted the BBC to release the song as a single. The song, "Something Outa Nothing", reached number 12 in the UK singles chart in November 1986.
Six years following her initial exit, Dean was lured back to EastEnders by producer John Yorke," Letitia Dean back in EastEnders", BBC. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006. reprising the role of Sharon from 2001 to 2006. In December 2004, Sunday Mirror reported that executive producer Kathleen Hutchison offered to double Dean's salary from £150,000 a year to £300,000 a year, to persuade her to remain in the show, making her one of the highest paid actresses in British soap." ENDERS' PAY RISE TO LURE LETITIA ", Sunday Mirror. URL last accessed on 20 December 2006. Dean's character left the serial again in January 2006. Her exit was announced in August 2005 and an official EastEnders press report initially stated that she was only taking a scheduled break and was due back on set later in 2006;" Dennis and Sharon quit EastEnders ", BBC. URL last accessed on 6 March 2008. however, this did not happen, and in June 2006 the BBC denied press speculation that there were any immediate plans for her to return to the series." Who is returning to 'EastEnders'? ", Digital Spy. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006.
In February 2012, producer Bryan Kirkwood announced that Dean would make a second return to EastEnders, having been absent for a period of six years. She made her return on 13 August 2012 after fleeing from her wedding to her fiancé John Hewland, with her son, Dennis Rickman Jr. and Phil Mitchell. She is one of three remaining original cast members, along with Gillian Taylforth and Adam Woodyatt.
On stage, she starred as Nurse Fay in the Joe Orton comedy play, Loot, working alongside actor Michael Elphick. She also played a prostitute in the revival of Charles Dyer's 1960s play Rattle of a Simple Man at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.
In 2007, Dean participated in the fifth series of the BBC celebrity dance contest, Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with the professional dancer, Darren Bennett." Letitia Dean joining new 'Strictly' series", Digital spy. URL last accessed on 30 August 2007. Dean and Bennett were voted out in the quarter-finals (week 10), one week before the semi-final. Commenting on her experience, Dean said "It's been incredible. I've got to thank Darren for all his patience, hard work, all the injuries. It's been wonderful."" Leititia Dean Voted Off Strictly Come Dancing", Digital spy. URL last accessed on 30 December 2007. Dean was one of several celebrities who took part in the 2008 Strictly Come Dancing UK arena tour. The tour began in January 2008 and visited various venues throughout the UK, with all the proceeds going to the Children in Need appeal." Letitia Dean joins 'Strictly' UK arena tour", Digital spy. URL last accessed on 30 December 2007.
In April 2008, it was announced that she would be starring in the stage show High School Musical as Ms Darbus. Dean commented, "It's a lovely opportunity for me ... It's something completely different to anything I've ever done – doing an American accent and playing this kind of character." The production played at London's Hammersmith Apollo from June 2008 until 31 August 2008." High School Musical gets new star", BBC. URL last accessed on 26 April 2008.
In January 2009, Dean released a fitness DVD entitled Letitia Dean's Lean Routine. She joined the cast of the stage production of Calendar Girls the same year, playing Cora (Miss July).
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Letitia announces plans to wed Jason Pethers", Hello!. URL last accessed on 20 December 2006.
In 2001, Dean became engaged to jobbing actor Jason Pethers after knowing him for only a few months. They married in September 2002 at All Saints' Church in Marylebone. Her close friend and EastEnders co-star, Susan Tully, was a bridesmaid at the wedding. Many of Dean's fellow castmates from EastEnders attended the wedding." EastEnders' Dean weds", BBC. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006. After five years of marriage, it was announced in 2007 that Dean and Pethers had separated because Pethers was reluctant to have children." Letitia Dean hopes to get over break-up", Digital spy. URL last accessed on 23 September 2007.
As well as acting, Dean is a keen singer (with a mezzo-soprano voice) and ." BBC profiles – Letitia Dean", BBC. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006. She currently lives in the Bedfordshire village of Wootton.
In June 2022, when accepting an award at the British Soap Awards, she revealed that her father had died and she dedicated the award to him.
| Herself | ||
| Happy Birthday, Coronation Street! | ||
| Barbara Palmer | ||
| The Trev & Simon Summer Special | Herself | |
| Sharon Watts | ||
| 2003 | EastEnders: Slaters in Detention | |
| Herself | ||
| Lean Routine | ||
| Donny & Marie: Las Vegas Live | ||
| Sharon Watts | ||
| 2015 | EastEnders: Backstage with Zoe Ball & Joe Swash | Herself |
| 2016 | EastEnders: Last Orders | Sharon Watts |
| Bobby Beale: The Story So Far | ||
| When Celebrities Go Pop | Herself | |
| 2018 | The Best of EastEnders | Sharon Watts |
| 2022 |
| Episode: "Series 7, episode 11" | |||
| 2 episodes | |||
| Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" | |||
| EastEnders | Regular role | ||
| Episode: "Celebrity First Class 1987" | |||
| Episode: "School for Stars" | |||
| Episode: "Understanding Television 2: Guidelines" | |||
| 2 episodes | |||
| Wogan | |||
| The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow | |||
| 1990 | You Bet! | Episode: "Series 3, episode 6" | |
| 1993 | Dimensions in Time | Sharon Watts | Charity crossover between Doctor Who and EastEnders |
| Live & Kicking | Herself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 11" | |
| 1995 | Casualty | Hannah Chesney | Episode: "Hit and Run" |
| 1995, 1998, 2002 | This Is Your Life | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 1996, 1998 | The Hello Girls | Chris Cross | Regular role, 15 episodes |
| 1997 | The Bill | Amanda Ronson | Episode: "Playing with Fire" |
| 1998 | Drop the Dead Donkey | Melissa Cabriolet | Episode: "Beasts, Badgers and Bombshells" |
| 1999-2000 | Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married | Charlotte | Regular role, 16 episodes |
| 2000 | Doctors | Marie Pearce | Episode: "Double Trouble" |
| 2001, 2004, 2022 | The British Soap Awards | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Top Ten | Episode: "Sex Bombs" | |
| 2001, 2004 | Richard & Judy | 2 episodes | |
| 2003, 2005 | EastEnders Revealed | ||
| 2005 | This Morning | Episode: "9 September 2005" | |
| 2007 | Just the Two of Us | Episode: "Series 2, episode 1" | |
| The Paul O'Grady Show | Episode: "Series 7, episode 23" | ||
| 9 episodes | |||
| Strictly Come Dancing | Regular role, 21 episodes | ||
| 2007-2008, 2015 | The Graham Norton Show | 3 episodes | |
| 2007 | Screenwipe | Episode: "Review of the Year 2007" | |
| 2008 | London Tonight | Episode: "15 February 2008" | |
| GMTV | Episode: "4 May 2008" | ||
| BBC Breakfast | Episode: "8 July 2008" | ||
| 2008, 2014-2015 | The One Show | 2 episodes | |
| Sharon Watts | Episode: "Peggy Mitchell Special" | ||
| 2009 | Saturday Kitchen | Episode: "17 January 2009" | |
| The Alan Titchmarsh Show | Episode: "2 February 2009" | ||
| Loose Women | 2 episodes | ||
| 2012 | ITV News | Episode: "7 December 2012" | |
| 2013, 2018 | Children in Need | Sharon Watts | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Antiques Roadshow | Herself | Episode: "Entertainment Special" |
| 2020 | 2 episodes | ||
| Sharon Watts | Episode: "Kathy and Ian" | ||
| 2020 | The Noughties | Episode: "2003" | |
| 2021 | What We Were Watching | Episode: "Christmas 1991" | |
| 2023 | The National Television Awards | Herself | Episode: "2023" |
| 2025 | Interviewed guest |
| 1979 | Annie | Pepper | Victoria Palace Theatre |
| 1986-1987 | Dick Whittington | Alice Fitzwarren | Hexagon Theatre, Reading |
| 1987-1988 | Lewisham Theatre, London | ||
| 1993-1994 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Snow White | Royal & Derngate, Northampton |
| 1995-1996 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Snow White | Liverpool Empire |
| 1997 | Rattle of a Simple Man | Cyrenne | UK National Tour |
| 1997-1998 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Jack | The Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford |
| 1999 | Loot | Nurse Fay | UK National Tour |
| 2001-2002 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Wicked Queen | Orchard Theatre, Dartford |
| 2004-2005 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Fairy | Birmingham Hippodrome |
| 2006-2007 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Wicked Queen | The Deco Northampton |
| 2007-2008 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Ipswich Regent |
| 2008 | High School Musical | Ms. Darbus | Hammersmith Apollo, London |
| 2008-2009 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Regent Theatre, Ipswich |
| 2009-2010 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Wicked Queen | Fairfield Halls, Croydon |
| 2010 | Calendar Girls | Cora | UK Tour |
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