Actress Letitia Dean has defended EastEnders' decision to bring her character Sharon Rickman back to the BBC soap after a six-year absence. The 44-year-old, who first appeared on the show in 1985, last played the role in 2006.
Critics have suggested the return signals a lack of fresh ideas, but Dean disagrees. 'With any sort of ongoing drama like EastEnders you need old blood, new blood, it just needs a balance,' she said.
Sharon, dubbed Walford's original princess, returns to Albert Square in desperate need of help from Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). 'She's about to get married and realises last minute it's the wrong thing to do,' Dean explained. 'She needs Phil who's always helped her out of a crisis, so that's where she heads.'
This marks the third time Dean has left and returned to the show. Co-star Steve McFadden supported the decision, saying: 'What Letitia is doing is bringing back some history and you can't buy that. It takes years to build that up.'
