EastEnders Christmas aftermath: "Sharon hates and resents Phil" reveals Letitia Dean
Murder and betrayal blows the Mitchells apart
It's all over for Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) following an explosive Christmas Day edition of EastEnders, in which the Sheanu affair was exposed and Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) was seemingly killed off for crossing Walford's most feared family.
In a dramatic showdown between husband and wife, Sharon admitted Phil's neglect had driven her to cheat and forced him to see the part he played in her infidelity - alas, to no avail as he ended up throwing her out on the street. Viewers were gripped as the Mitchells' marriage was laid bare, and Dean reveals it was highly emotional to shoot.
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"Oh my days, I was so drained!" the Walford veteran told RadioTimes.com. "It was really charged. I've worked with Steve for many decades and it's always a joy, he's brilliant. Those kinds of scenes are upsetting to do many times but it was written to perfection and we managed it in one take."
Phil has has now cast heavily pregnant Sharon out of the faaaaamily, with even her son Denny rejecting his own mother for her betrayal, so the future for Walford's power couple is not looking good as we head into 2020…
"Is there any chance they can get though this?" muses Dean, "Personally I hope so - but I don't think that's going to happen at the moment. Sharon ends up hating and resenting Phil for a while in the aftermath. There's a lot of tension and Denny will be used as a pawn."
Sharon and Phil are soap royalty and have come back from numerous affairs, life-threatening illnesses and acts of violence. Dean is in nostalgic mood as she recalls the characters' history, including one particularly memorable plot from 1994 that has become legend.
"When I'm asked about my favourite storyline I have to say it's 'Sharongate' from back in the day, when Grant exposed Sharon and Phil's affair. How many million viewers was that?! I just loved it, and I love this show. I was 16 when I started and recently turned 52.
"The storyline we've just done is absolutely great and definitely a highlight. Although I am exhausted!"
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