EastEnders' Sharon's real life from drastic teen surgery to weight loss journey
It's rare that EastEnders legend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) has a quiet day, but things have been particularly rocky in recent times. The soap legend is of course currently preparing for an exciting new life overseas in Abu Dhabi, but it's unlikely we'll see her happily jet off from Heathrow without a hitch.
Indeed, Sharon has had to deal with some very murky characters, even by Walford standards, of late, with Dorian Gates (Luke JI Smith) making his true nature known. The dodgy boxing promoter and his heavies turned threatening after she refused to pay a finder's fee for the Pub, Pint, and Fight event, leaving her shaken.
As Sharon fears for her safety, and the safety of young son Albie, we take a look at actor Letitia's life away from Albert Square, from the surgery decision she made as a teen, to her weight loss secret.
The soap star has previously dealt with self esteem issues (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Self-esteem battle and teen surgery
As one of the longest-serving characters on the square, Sharon has pretty much seen and done it all, and so it's perhaps difficult to imagine Letitia as a nervous teenage actress thrust into the spotlight, contending with all the publicity such a role entails. Hertfordshire-born Letitia was just 17 years old when she joined EastEnders, and scrutiny over her appearance severely knocked her self-esteem.
Plagued with insecurities, Letitia opted to get a breast reduction, with nasty comments from members of the public ultimately influencing her agonising decision. Speaking with Hello! magazine back in 2001, Letitia shared: "Backache had a lot to do with that decision too. But I was a lot less secure about myself and there was a lot of focus on how I looked. Occasionally, the attention on my appearance still bothers me - it bothers all women, doesn't it? - but I have those things in perspective nowadays. My work is part of my life but it's not everything and, no matter what you do or how you look, you can't please everybody."
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
The actress astonished fans after revealing her extraordinary weight loss (WireImage)
Letitia was only 17 years old when she joined EastEnders (BBC)Weight loss secret
Letitia, 55, has made her health and well-being a top priority in recent times and has even managed to shed two stone over the past year alone through making one very positive lifestyle change. Ditching fab diets in favour of long-term change, the soap icon swapped junk food for plenty of "grilled skinless chicken" plus "lots of greens", while incorporating exercises such as running and boxercise into her daily routine. According to Letitia: "It was incredible. I found I had so much more energy than when I used to eat junk food."
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and
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