Letitia Dean showcased her glamorous new look as her character Sharon Watts made a dramatic return to EastEnders in Tuesday's episode. Having been absent from the BBC soap since October 2025, the actress made her long-awaited comeback, with viewers noticing her significant weight loss during the scenes.
Sharon's Return to Albert Square
Sharon is back in Albert Square just in time for her adoptive sister Vicki Fowler's (Alice Haig) wedding to Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw). Reacting to Letitia's return, viewers took to X to express their excitement. One wrote: '#EastEnders Now we know Sharon is back - I'm even more excited for the fallout of Vicki and Zack's actions at the wedding tomorrow.' Another added: 'She came when we needed her most. In Sharon we trust.' A third commented: 'Yeah Sharon is back but how long is she gonna be around this time?'
In a dramatic trailer released in September, Letitia showcased her incredible weight loss. The actress, who has played Sharon Watts since 1985, looked stunning in skin-tight trousers as her character returned to Albert Square. In the trailer, Sharon could be seen climbing out of a taxi with her son Albie before coming face-to-face with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), the killer of her father Den, who had returned to Walford after almost two decades. Letitia wore her character's trademark black outfit, pairing the trousers with a lace top and towering heels.
Weight Loss Journey
Letitia has previously spoken about how she dropped two stone, going from 10st 4lbs to 8st 3lbs, and also dropped four dress sizes. The soap star lost the weight in just one year by prioritising her health and wellbeing and cutting out junk food completely. Over the last few years, Letitia has focused on her health and has eliminated bad habits from her diet.
Letitia admitted she tried 'faddy diets' in the past which never worked, but after ditching junk food, she now feels much better. Speaking to Closer in 2007, the soap star said: 'It was incredible. I found I had so much more energy than when I used to eat junk food.' Now, Letitia has made long-term changes and enjoys 'grilled skinless chicken' and 'lots of greens'.
She explained: 'The main reason I wanted to do something about my figure was that I was so sick of extreme dieting and my weight yo-yoing. I just woke up one morning, and I'd had enough. For years and years - as long as I can remember - my weight had yo-yoed up and down. I'd go on fad diets like Atkins or I'd only eat eggs.' Letitia noted that she did 'lose a stone in a couple of weeks on a yoyo diet' but admitted it is not sustainable, and she quickly slipped back into her old ways.
Now, the BBC star revealed she sticks to a well-balanced diet, keeping to 1,300 calories a day, and complements her healthy eating regime with exercises such as running and boxercise. According to the NHS website, the recommended calorie intake is around 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,500 calories per day for men.
