HEAT CHATS TO QUEEN LETITIA
’Enders legend Letitia Dean talks awkward sex scenes, affairs and anniversaries with Kay Ribeiro
It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore Eastenders fan or you’ve just dipped in once in a while over the last 35 years, you’ll still be well aware of the soap icon that is Sharon Mitchell, played by the legendary Tish Dean. With her dazzling array of hairdos (and don’ts), dirty laugh, and perpetually fluttering eyelashes, Sharon’s always been catnip for the bad boys of Walford, making Katie Price’s antics look like a Jane Austen novel.
During her eventful time in E20, she’s cheated on her husband Grant Mitchell with his brother Phil (a staggering 25.3million people tuned in to watch her explosive taped confession played to the entire pub), and hooked up with her handsome half-brother Dennis Rickman, tying the knot and having his baby. And most recently, the sassy blonde’s given hope to older ladies across the land by having an affair with fit young mechanic Keanu Taylor (her stepdaughter’s fiancé, obvs), becoming the country’s most fertile 50 year old when she unexpectedly got pregnant. Now, as the show celebrates its 35th anniversary, we requested a royal audience with HRH Queen Tish – who is every bit as camp and fabulous as you’d hope – to find out what’s in store for Sharon, and whether a new romantic pairing could be on the cards…
You’ve been in the show since day one. How does it feel to be celebrating 35 years? I mean, it’s an honour to be asked to be in the show for that long. And as clichéd as it is, it’s like a family. I love playing my character, I love the people I work with and I love the show. So, I feel very honoured and lucky.
Can you remember your first day on set? Ooh, I remember the fear. I remember my first ever line. I had to get a little trinket out of a box – my hand was shaking so much, I had to do it about ten times – and I had to say, “Do you think Mum will like it?” My voice was really high! Are you still in touch with any of the original cast? I saw Anita [Dobson who played her on screen mum Angie Watts] about a year ago. I saw her in Annie – I love her so much. And Pam [St Clement, AKA Pat Butcher] occasionally I speak to. Adam [Woodyatt, Ian Beale] was there from day one, of course. We laugh because Steve [Mcfadden], me and Adam – now we’re a little older – whenever we do a line read, we all go, “Right, glasses! Where’s my glasses?” And we all sit there with our little Amazon glasses, three for a tenner. And you think, “Oh my God, we’re getting old!” Whatever happened to Roly, your on-screen poodle? Roly has met his maker. He was our boss Julia Smith’s dog. Back in the ’80s, if I bobbed under the camera, Les Grantham, who played my dad, used to say I looked like Roly’s arse! [Laughs.] And I did! The old curly perm… You had some very strong looks. Do you still have that pink jumper? No! I hated it by the end. I think I tried to burn it. I wish I had kept it now, though – it might’ve made a few quid. What other outfits stand out for you? She’s had some corkers. I had these pink tights and I had to crawl along the bar and go [breathily], “Hi Lofty, do you like suspenders? Do they turn you on?” When you’re young, it’s embarrassing. Once you’ve lost all your dignity, you don’t care any more. Now, it’d take four prop guys to winch me up! What’s been your favourite storyline? Back in the day, it would be all that Sharongate stuff with the Mitchell brothers. That was so unexpected – I just thought it was brilliantly written, and it’s stood the test of time. It was great. As a viewer, it was genuinely shocking when it came out… Because you couldn’t find anything out back in those days, could you? You didn’t have the social media or spoilers. Sharon’s had an affair with her brother-in-law and her half-brother – any other boundaries you’d like her to cross? At the screening of the Christmas episode, I joked about converting Ben and that went all over the place! It would be a camp, great storyline wouldn’t it? [Laughs.] Or maybe she could become a lesbian? Oh darling, Sharon the lesbian – who knows in the land of Walford? But I think having a baby at her age will be quite challenging. What did people say when Sharon hooked up with Keanu? I got a lot of, “You lucky bastard!” And I was. I’ve been very blessed with my young leading men. But then Phil is Sharon’s “One”, really, I think, deep down. We’ll see what happens, but yeah, I think once you’ve worked with somebody, the same character for such a long time, you have a rapport. I just love working with Steve. But they’ve all been lovely and Danny, who plays Keanu, he was great to work with and very respectful to the older lady. You mean when you hooked up on the kitchen table? With the leg up? Yes!
I had to dig deep to remember what that was like, I can tell you. With the chauffeur’s hat… [Starts laughing.] I’m living vicariously through my character. What was it like to film? A little awkward to start with, but you just laugh your way through it, and I did wear my drawers. Sharon gave a really empowering speech about Keanu making her feel like a woman. She’s gone through quite the “Shaznaissance”. Is it exciting to play this new stage of her life? Absolutely. I think what you just said, when she said, “He made me feel wanted, he made me feel alive…” It was her truth, really, and he did make her feel like that. He’s quite an old soul, Keanu is, and I think it happens. You don’t all have to look like Claudia Schiffer to have that happen, do you? I think a lot of women have been through that situation. You’re flying the flag for older women living their best lives… You hear a lot of women saying they feel invisible as they get older. And it was nice trying to portray
that situation without making it sleazy. Where did the idea come from? I don’t think that storyline was planned, but me and Danny had a scene together and character-wise we had a little spark, and I think they took it from that. I just loved the fact that she and her stepdaughter Louise got pregnant at the same time. It’s been nice, because it hasn’t been too much, too quickly, it’s been spread over time, a slow burn. So, I’ve loved it. It’s been one of my favourite current storylines.
And now she’s back to being super-feisty. Do you enjoy playing that side of her? Oh, I love that, yeah. I love having a go at Phil. That’s great fun to play, her revenge and all of that heightened drama. You would never know I loved that, would you? [Laughs.] But without gushing too much, I’ve been blessed with some fabulous storylines. It’s 35 years and I’m loving it, if not more than ever. What would you like to see her doing next? I think there’s a lot of hurt to be healed and then I think just getting her mojo back. Just getting stronger. You obviously want me to play a lesbian… It’s just something to explore! Maybe Sharon and Linda? [Theatrically] I’ll put it in the suggestion box, I don’t mind. What can you tell us about your anniversary episodes? Well, I’m not on the river or involved in that storyline, but I’m back in the Square and it’s safe to say the baby is coming. And let’s just say I look suitably sweaty. No bats… What? Eyelashes. Wait, Sharon is not überglamorous during labour? No, darling, no. I think someone said, “You’re so courageous, having your face off.” So, there you go. It’s actually quite liberating, when you take it all off, it’s quite lovely. I mean, it’s not so great on a 50-inch screen for some of us, but you know, we can’t have it all in life, can we? [Laughs.] Will there be a massive party to celebrate the birth? I don’t know, but it would be nice. Jellied eels, the Lambeth walk! Could we see the on-screen ‘Enders group you were in, The Banned, reunite? Oh, The Banned! Heady days. I enjoyed it – from what I remember. I think it’s safe to say it’s very unlikely there will be a reunion. Maybe when Sharon gets a storyline that she’s joining the Sally Army. She could be outside Walford Tube with Karen – Lorraine Stanley, who I’m a massive fan of, she’s one of my besties – and Bronson the dog. That big beast is always getting an erection, apparently – he loved Tilly Keeper [Louise]!
Last year was your 2,000th episode. How was that? I didn’t even realise. I was working with Steve, I had no shoes on in the scene, holey old socks, no bloody make-up… All the execs came down and I thought, “How lovely.” I looked a right old mess. But I got a lovely bottle of Champagne and a massive, gorgeous bouquet, so it was lovely. But did you get your own commemorative stamp? I didn’t. Do you know, I don’t have anything of me up around the house at home, but that would make me laugh. In the toilet. It would be lovely to look at every time I have a tinkle – I can look at myself as the queen on the throne! ■
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