EastEnders star Sharon Watts is one of the most recognisable faces on TV having played Sharon Watts on and off since 1985.
The actress, 55, landed the role when she was just 17-years-old and was a central part of the BBC soap before she bid farwell to Albert Square for the first time in 1995. More than two decades later, Sharon remains at the heart of the soap and this week, her world comes crumbling down when she believes baby Albie has been kidnapped.
With Sharon in the midst of the drama, Daily Star has looked into actress Letitia’s off-screen weight loss journey and how she dropped four dress sizes in just four months. Letitia has been open about her body image struggles and revealed trolls often targeted her because of her weight.
READ MORE: BBC EastEnders fans figure out Christmas death victim as villain returns to square
READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
Letitia has been open about her body image struggles and revealed trolls often targeted her because of her weight. She explained that the constant abuse led to her getting a breast reduction when she was a teenager in a bid to stop the nasty comments.
(Image: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)
Speaking on the EastEnders spin-off show Secrets from the Square in 2020, Letitia admitted: “I had quite a lot of horrible things said about me. ‘She’s too fat, the other actors complain they can’t fit on the same set with her’.” Discussing her decision to go under the knife, the actress told Hello! Magazine: “But I was a lot less secure about myself and there was a lot of focus on how I looked.
(Image: BBC)
“Occasionally, the attention on my appearance still bothers me – it bothers all women, doesn’t it? – but I have those things in perspective nowadays.”
Following her return to the soap from 2001 until 2006, Letitia took part in Strictly Come Dancing one year later and confessed the main reason for doing the show was to change her lifestyle and stop “yo yo” dieting. The star, who finished fourth alongside partner Darren Bennett, told Closer: “It started with Strictly Come Dancing because I felt great by the end of the show and the live tour.
(Image: BBC)
“But 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.”
(Image: BBC)
While the actress explained she was able to “lose a stone in a couple of weeks” through extreme dieting, it wasn’t long before she slipped back into old habits and “put it all on again”. Letitia also released a fitness DVD in 2008 titled Letitia Dean’s Lean Routine
Last year, when Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) was preparing to marry Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) on the BBC soap, fans couldn’t wait to compliment Letitia on how incredible she looked as Sharon sported a figure-hugging navy dress.
“Sharon looks absolutely stunning at the moment,” shared one viewer as another penned: “How did Sharon lose so much weight? Whatever it is I want it too.”
A third wrote: “Sharon looks so good in #EastEnders as someone else gushed: “I can’t get over how fantastic Sharon looks #eastenders.” While a fifth echoed: “Can we all take a minute to appreciate how good Sharon Watts looks on #EastEnders?! Wow.”
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Opening up on her weight loss which saw her go from 10st 4lbs to 8st 3lbs, the actress revealed she focused on healthy foods including: “Pitta bread with a grilled skinless chicken breast, for instance, and lots of greens.” After ditching the junk food in her diet, the actress confessed she had “so much more energy,” reported The Express. It was also claimed that Letitia opted for a new diet plan which saw her reduce her daily calorie intake to 1,300.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
