Letitia Dean

[lizann]

She has a new fitness dvd out

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Letitia-Deans-Lean-Routine-Dean/dp/B001FDT97G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1231339091&sr=1-1"]Letitia Dean's Lean Routine [2008]: Letitia Dean: Amazon.co.uk: DVD[/ame]

[Layne]

Same trainer as Charlie Brooks had and Natalie Cassidy, and those are both similar routines...so im guessing this one will be similar.

[Xx-Vicky-xX]

I don't know what others think but it looks to energetic...likiness is that if you are quite big and do need to lose weight (not like some people who for some reason think size 12 is fat and need to lose weight) you can't do so much moving like that straight off

[alan45]

How did they manage to get her black leather jacket off for her to make the video

[alan45]

EastEnders favourite Sharon Mitchell has a role to play in the 30th anniversary next week as she demands answers from her husband Phil when he returns to Walford after his disappearing act.

Phil decided not to return home after being released from prison on bail, and he continues to behave strangely when he arrives back on the Square next week.

Here, Letitia Dean - who has played Sharon on and off since 1985 - marks EastEnders' anniversary by reflecting on her history with the programme and also offers her backing to the Mitchells' marriage.


© BBC / Nicky Johnston
Letitia Dean as Sharon Mitchell

What has been your favourite moment for Sharon?
"I think probably one of my favourites has got to be around the 'Sharongate' time, when Grant found out that Sharon had been sleeping with his brother. It was just such a great build-up to the story and a huge moment for the viewers as well. It was quite full-on, so I'd say that's definitely in my top three.

"Also, it's got to be Den serving Angie the divorce papers. Oh and another was when Michelle got pregnant by Den and Sharon found out... That was shocking!"

What are your memories of working with Anita Dobson and Leslie Grantham?
"Oh, I have many wonderful memories working with them. Anita, who played my mum Angie, was so nurturing and she was such an experienced actress - she showed me the ropes. Angie and Leslie treated me like their own daughter. I was young, very nervous in the beginning and relatively inexperienced in television, so they helped me all the way. It was lovely. Leslie was always making me giggle and I was very lucky to have worked with them both."

How did you cope with the fame which came with the role?
"It was very strange because I don't think Adam, I and the other actors of our age who were there at that time were expecting it. We thought it was going to be a six or seven week job so we didn't think it was going to be the amazing creature that it is today.

"The show prepared us as much as they knew how to, but still, we were never aware of just how popular it would be. The first time I was recognised was very strange. I wondered if I had something in my teeth or if I'd tucked my skirt into my tights! It was very weird but it's extremely different now because of social media, camera phones and all of that."


What memories do you have from those days?
"I remember years ago I had a scene in the laundrette with Adam and Sue Tully, who played Michelle, and back in those days we had proper rehearsals. We had a lovely director called Sue Butterworth and during the scene, something silly happened - I can't remember what it was but we got the giggles.

"The three of us couldn't stop and we became hysterical despite the director trying to calm us down. Time was pushing on and Sue called a tea break and said she wanted us calm again by the time she came back. However we were still laughing when she arrived back and so she sent us home early! We had great fun back in those days. We were just teenagers."

Do you have any more recent favourite stories for Sharon?
"Sharon marrying Phil! They have so much history together and for them to finally marry was such an amazing moment for them. It has always been, 'Will they, won't they, will they, won't they?' and they finally did! It was still totally dramatic with a lot of other storylines culminating, but that was what I loved about it. It's one of my favourites moments since I've been back."

Do you have any favourite EastEnders characters?
"It has got to be Kim. I just love her. I think she's sensational and I love that swagger she's got. She's fabulous. Also, Dot, of course. She is an amazing character played by the wonderful June Brown."

If you could cast anyone you wanted in EastEnders, who would it be and why?
"Oh gosh, that's a hard one. A bit of Ray Winstone would be good! But if we're talking fantasy then it'll have to be Hugh Jackman. I wouldn't mind Hugh playing Sharon's lover. Oh yes, that would be rather fabulous. But that's just a fantasy, isn't it? That's not a reality unfortunately!"

How does it feel to still be involved with the show?
"I feel so honoured to be still involved in EastEnders. I'm so proud of the show and always have been, like many of us are. I just think how it's evolved and how it's generally stayed true to itself is fantastic.

"We're now in such exciting times with the 30th anniversary, and I really feel a lot of the nation is right behind EastEnders at the moment. I think they're so looking forward to what's coming up and that gives us excitement as actors and as a production to deliver that. I just feel very honoured that they still want me here. That's very touching for me - genuinely."


Phil, Sharon and Grant

What is it like to film on Albert Square?
"To be honest, when we were first taken to the lot, even though obviously it hadn't been on screen, it was like, 'Wow'! It was really exciting. Wendy Richard was the only one who you'd call a 'television name' in the show at that time, so she was head honcho and that was the wow factor when I met her for the first time. I even remember what she was wearing; a white shirt, tank top, scarf and pencil skirt. She was lovely.

"I always try to make new people comfortable when they come into the show if I'm working with them because it must be quite overwhelming. I love the fact that actors that do come here go 'Wow!' as they walk onto the Square - it's such a great reaction and it also keeps you on your toes. It also stops you becoming blasé after being here so long and it's great to see the newbies' excitement and enthusiasm for filming EastEnders."

Is the Square your favourite set to work on?
"For me personally, I've got to say yeah. There's something magical about it. I don't know what it is. I particularly like doing the night stuff. I love it out there. You've got such a sense of freedom up there and it's just got a great vibe. I've been here on and off for 30 years and I don't think there is a set I haven't worked in."

Do you have any favourite scenes?
"One of my favourite scenes was a 'two-hander' which I had with Susan Tully. It was when Sharon found out that Den was the father of Michelle's baby. We were quite young then. Sue was a lot more experienced than me in television so I was really honoured to be doing it with her and that the producers trusted us to do a good job.

"Those two-hander scenes didn't come along very often - I think Den and Angie had done one, Dot and Ethel… I think for us, that was a great honour. It was so well-written and a pivotal moment for me."

If you could have one character return to EastEnders, who would it be?
"Oh, there's a few - there's a list… Angie, Pat, Dennis, Grant, Peggy, Tanya."


© BBC
Sharon and Phil

You seem very positive about Sharon's marriage to Phil...
"I think Sharon's in the right relationship with Phil. I feel very solid within that character relationship, and I think we look right together. Sharon and Phil are so '80s, aren't they? They've still got that '80s vibe. I reckon Sharon could turn The Albert into a gay bar, which I really would love to happen. If we're lucky enough to still be here in the next 20 years, we might also own a little mobility shop. The possibilities are endless…"

What would you say has been the most memorable death on the show?
"My first episode - Reg Cox. Sharon wasn't really involved in that though. It was a Nick Cotton job. Obviously, when Dennis died. Sharon, pregnant, and Dennis were just about to escape and get away from Johnny Allen and then suddenly he got stabbed. Watching Pauline die in the snow, I found that really sad. Also when Den got shot through the daffodils and then again, with the Queen Vic bust - there's a lot of memorable ones."

What is your favourite 'doof doof'?
"I don't know if I've exaggerated this over the years, but the one about Kathy Beale with the knitting machine and someone said. 'Oh my gawd, Kath. The knitting machine's broke.' Hilarious!"

How do you feel about the show's upcoming live scenes?
"It's a gamut of emotions really – excited, little bit anxious, I don't quite know exactly what I'm doing yet! But I think for us it's going alright at the moment. It's a combination of excitement and a little bit of nerves. I want to know who killed Lucy Beale because it is doing my head in! Everyone keeps asking me. I have no idea!"

What do you think the future holds for your character?
"Loads more of the same - more drama, more hope, laughter, a nice little filming location abroad would be nice for Sharon. A little trip to Spain would be nice! I'm very proud to be part of the show. I am loving what the writers are doing for my character. I feel it's back on top and I think it's back where it should be - where it deserves to be."