EastEnders’ Letitia Dean says Sharon was determined to get ‘revenge’ for son Denny’s death as she is REVEALED to be Ian Beale’s attacker in explosive Christmas twist
- WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
EastEnders’ Christmas Day episode revealed Ian Beale’s were none other than his childhood friend Sharon Watts and lifelong rival Phil Mitchell.
The Queen Vic landlady, played by Letitia Dean, recently tied the knot with the unpopular chip shop owner after his beating at the hands of the mystery assailant, but has now been unmasked as the culprit in a shocking twist.
On the surface, Sharon appeared to be very supportive after the attack as she visited Ian, played by Adam Woodyatt, in his hour of need as he recovered in hospital.
Shocking: Ian Beale’s attackers have finally been revealed to be none other than his childhood friend Sharon Watts and Phil Mitchell
But it was shockingly revealed in the tense EastEnders Christmas special that she and Phil, played by Steve McFadden, were behind the attack all along.
And EastEnders star Letitia, 53, has spoken about her character’s shocking actions, saying she believes that Sharon thinks ‘Ian very much deserved it’.
In the Christmas special, it was revealed that Sharon knew that Ian played a part in her son Denny’s death, as her son had left a voicemail on her mobile phone.
While on a boat trip, Denny had been locked below deck by Ian but disaster struck when the boat crashed and filled up with water, leading to Denny’s tragic death.
Attack: The Queen Vic landlady, played by Letitia Dean, recently tied the knot with the unpopular chip shop owner after his beating at the hands of the mystery assailant
Speaking about the incident, Letitia explained: ‘Well I always knew that after what happened on the boat with Denny, that secret was never going to be forgotten, especially as there are such strong feelings involved.
‘After months of lies and leaning on her best friend whilst grieving – the one person that was there for her turned out to be the reason behind Sharon’s pain. As far as Sharon’s concerned, Ian very much deserved it.
‘It’s something of a lucky coincidence in Sharon’s eyes that Ian’s managed to provoke half the Square into a murderous rage at the same time – that certainly took the heat off of her and Phil whilst they were plotting!’
The actress went on to say that Phil and Sharon became united in ‘wanting to see Ian pay’ as ‘Ian’s demise is the one thing they wholeheartedly do agree on’.
But after Phil backed off from the plot, Sharon remained determined to get her revenge, as the festive special dramatically ends with her poisoning a Christmas pudding before handing a slice to Ian.
Plot twist: In the Christmas special, it was revealed that Sharon knew that Ian played a part in her son Denny’s death, as her son had left a voicemail on her mobile phone
Cliffhanger: Sharon was determined to get her revenge, as the festive special dramatically ends with her poisoning a Christmas pudding before handing a slice to Ian
Letitia also admitted that although Sharon’s actions were ‘abhorrent’, she has enjoyed ‘bringing out that side’ of the character in the latest storyline.
She continued: ‘It was quite fun bringing out that side of Sharon!
‘Of course she’s behaving abhorrently but I think at this point the audience can see why – especially with everyone else that Ian has hurt too.
‘As Sharon hears about all his enemies, her frustrations and anger builds. The irony is, Sharon’s got a huge secret the entire time and so did I knowing that Sharon was the one plotting the attack all along!’
The Grange Hill actress also said that Sharon is ‘suffering from loss’ ‘deep down’ and her ‘best friend lying’ has outweighed her ‘rationality’ as she is only seeking revenge.
Tension: EastEnders star Letitia, 53, has spoken about her character’s shocking actions, saying she believes that Sharon thinks ‘Ian very much deserved it’
She explained: ‘She has struggled yes- because although she’s determined to get revenge, deep down she is of course suffering from loss.
‘The pain and hurt of losing her son, and her best friend lying about the circumstances for so long, by far outweighs any rationality.
‘I don’t think she finds it hard to lie to Ian at all but it’s with other people that the cracks can start to show.
‘Obviously Ian being Ian, he has managed to anger many others over the past few months and anyone could have taken matters into their own hands.’
Red-herring: On the surface, Sharon appeared to be very supportive after the attack as she visited Ian, played by Adam Woodyatt, in his hour of need as he recovered in hospital
Speaking more generally about filming the scenes with EastEnders legend Adam Woodyatt, 52, she gushed that she ‘adores’ the talented actor and considers him to be ‘family’.
Letitia said it has been ‘a joy’ to film more scenes with Adam but also said that she feels ‘so lucky’ that she is able work amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
She went on: ‘Everyone knows I adore Adam, we’re like family so it’s been a joy. I found it heart-breaking seeing Ian come to terms with the fact that he might not make it and he plays Ian’s awful side so it’s been a challenge too.
‘Not to mention the safety precautions and restrictions that we’re working with now on top of such a big storyline but everyone on the show has worked so hard to keep the show looking as great as it does, it’s a privilege to be a part of.
Buddies: The actress went on to say that Phil and Sharon became united in ‘wanting to see Ian pay’ as ‘Ian’s demise is the one thing they wholeheartedly do agree on’
‘We all feel so lucky that we’re able to keep working at the moment too.’
Following the tense storyline, Adam is set to temporarily leave EastEnders in 2021 to star in the stage production of Looking Good Dead by Peter James.
The identity of Ian’s assailant has remained a closely guarded secret until Christmas, with many red-herrings being thrown in by the BBC soap opera.
A source previously said: ‘People are queuing up to cave Ian’s head in. As far as legendary EastEnders characters go, Ian is up there with the best so this storyline will leave viewers shocked.
‘He has no shortage of enemies so exactly who attacked him and left him for dead will be the focus of the weeks that follow.’
Break: Following this tense storyline, Adam is set to temporarily leave EastEnders in 2021 to star in the stage production of Looking Good Dead by Peter James
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