BBC Share By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 Sharon Watts in EastEnders: Mitchell brother mistress, former drug addict and tragic lover How much do you know about Sharon Watts? Letitia Dean Sharon Watts Share By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 Sharon Watts is a soap icon on BBC’s EastEnders – and the character has been a part of some of TV’s most memorable moments. From being a member of the infamous ‘Six’ storyline to her part in the iconic ‘Sharongate’ reveal, she’s secured her place in history as one of EastEnders’ biggest-ever characters. But when did her first child die? How many people watched the explosive fall out of Sharongate? And what drug was she addicted to? Here’s all you need to know about the one and only Sharon Watts! Sharon is a true Walford legend (Credit: BBC) Who is Sharon Watts in EastEnders? Sharon Watts is the adopted daughter of Den and Angie Watts. Not just a pretty face, she’s managed to build somewhat of an empire in Walford, as the owner of The Boxing Den. She was one of the original 23 characters created by soap bosses and made her first appearance in 1985. Actress Letitia Dean left in 1995, but made a comeback six years later from 2001 to 2006, and again from 2012 onwards. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Sharon’s journey has been nothing short of dramatic during her time in Walford. Her storylines have included everything from affairs to addiction. Sharon is one of Walford’s longest-serving residents (Credit: BBC) When did Sharon Watts arrive in EastEnders? Sharon first rocked up to Walford during EastEnders’ first-ever episode broadcast on February 19, 1985. She appeared with the rest of the Watts clan. The then-teenager Sharon soon became a hit with fans. Early storylines saw her grow up at the iconic Queen Vic. Sharon later became the landlady of the Queen Vic in 1991 until 1995. She resumed the position on-and-off again from 2001 to 2022. Sharon’s adoptive parents were the iconic Den and Angie Watts (Credit: BBC/YouTube) Sharon Watts’ birth parents Knowing she was adopted, at one point in the soap Sharon tracked down her birth mother, Carol Hanley. The pair met several times, but Carol admitted she had no maternal feelings. In 2015, Carol reached out to Sharon wanting to meet again. However, Carol had died by the time Sharon decided to reconnect. Sharon then found out that the bad guy Gavin Sullivan was her biological father. She also learned that he handed her over to Den Watts as part of a business transaction. In 2021, Sharon discovered that Gavin had a son called Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who turned out to be her long-lost brother. Sharon was one third of the soap’s ‘Sharongate’ storyline (Credit: BBC/YouTube) Sharon Watts and Mitchell brothers in EastEnders Sharon Watts is synonymous with Mitchell brothers, Phil and Grant. She has been married to both of them – and even had a fling with their (also bald!) cousin Teddy. However, it was in the early ’90s that the soap aired one of Sharon’s most shocking moments. Sharon ended up having an affair with Phil – while married to brother Grant. And of course, the affair was exposed when Grant came across a recording of Sharon confessing the affair to Michelle Fowler. Grant later played the explosive recording to the packed pub at Phil and Kathy Beale’s engagement party in 1994 which was watched by 25.3 million viewers and become known as Sharongate. Dennis was the love of Sharon’s life (Credit: BBC/YouTube) Sharon Watts and Dennis Rickman As well as her romance with the Mitchell brothers, Sharon was also famously in a relationship with Dennis Rickman, her adoptive father’s son. Their relationship was frowned upon by the Square – but the pair ignored the comments and tied the knot in 2005. Sharon found out she was unexpectedly pregnant with Dennis’ son on Christmas Day later that year. It was a miracle baby, as she thought she couldn’t have children. Unfortunately, Dennis was fatally stabbed on New Year’s Eve by Danny Moon. Sharon and Keanu almost got married – until his lies were exposed on their wedding day (Credit: BBC) Who else has Sharon dated in EastEnders? Sharon has had her fair share of romances on the BBC One soap. As a teenager, she dated fellow soap legend Ian Beale. The pair rekindled things years later but things turned sour when Sharon held Ian responsible for the death of her son, Dennis. She tried to kill Ian with poisoned pasta, but he found out and didn’t eat it. Shazza has also been engaged to fireman Tom Banks. His estranged wife Sadie tried to split them up, but they remained strong. However when Tom saw a fire break out, he rushed in to rescue Little Mo and Trevor Morgan who were trapped insider. Tom sadly didn’t make it out alive, leaving Sharon heartbroken. After a stint away, Sharon came back to Walford in 2012 having just jilted her fiancé John Hewland, who has taken her son, Dennis. Sharon got engaged to Jack Branning, but he called off the wedding after realising he was still in love with ex-wife Ronnie Mitchell. Sharon finally married Phil after years of will-they-won’t-they. However it turned out it wasn’t all she wanted and she fell in love with toyboy Keanu Taylor. In typical soap fashion though, their romance was anything but plain sailing. Keanu also had a relationship with Sharon’s stepdaughter, Louise Mitchell – who he also got pregnant. And during Christmas 2023, Keanu’s time on the soap came to an end after Linda Carter stabbed him, in a bid to stop him from strangling Sharon to death. Alongside Linda, Sharon, Denise, Suki, Stacey and Kathy become known as The Six as they tried to cover up Keanu’s murder. Eventually Nish Panesar took the blame for the crime and now he’s dead, questions have stopped being asked. Phil accidentally got Sharon’s son killed (Credit: BBC) Who are Sharon Watts’ children? Sharon Watts’ first child Denny was born in 2006. In February 2020, Dennis was killed in a Boat Crash that was unintentionally caused by his adoptive father, Phil. Following his death, Sharon developed an addiction to painkillers. One moment saw her pass out while she was supposed to be looking after Phil’s granddaughter, Lexi Pearce. Lexi almost took some of the tablets before Phil arrived just in time, and furiously threw Sharon out of the house. Sharon later visited an Addicts Anonymous meeting, where she confessed her addiction to painkillers. The day Dennis died was the same day his younger brother, Albie Watts was born. At first, Sharon thought Keanu was Albie’s father – but it was later revealed that it was Phil Mitchell. We haven’t seen Sharon in a while (Credit: BBC) Where is Sharon now? Viewers haven’t seen much of Sharon in recent months unfortunately, with actress Letitia Dean taking a step back from the soap. While her permanent exit hasn’t been announced, Sharon has quietly shuffled offscreen in the wake of Zoe’s own return to Walford. After learning that Zoe had lied about her twins being Dennis’s, Sharon fled Walford with Albie. She’s currently staying with best pal Michelle while she tries to make sense of the situation. Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 By Carena Crawford Jan 21 2026 Previous Story Next Story
