EastEnders icon Letitia Dean reveals Sharon Watts return and "icy" showdown for The Six

Back in January, a broken Sharon fled Albert Square with son Albie Watts following her role in covering up the murder of fiancé Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) at the hands of her best friend Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who had killed him in a bid to stop him killing Sharon.

Having spent three months in Australia with oldest friend Michelle Fowler, Sharon finally returns to Walford next week and faces the other members of The Six and her ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), now revealed to be Albie's biological father.

If that wasn't enough drama, the floor to the cafe caves in and the death of Keanu is set to become public.

Now, speaking in a new interview shared with RadioTimes.com and other press, the iconic Letitia Dean lifts the lid on her big return to EastEnders after a three-month absence.

This week, Sharon returns to Walford after escaping to Australia with Albie. Can you tell us how she's been coping since the events of Christmas and Keanu's death?

"She's mourning the death of Keanu, of her relationship and the death of their family unit, so she's completely overwhelmed by heartache and grief. So, the short answer is, no, she is definitely not coping!"

Sharon has had her fair share of heartache over the years. Do you think she can overcome this?

"That's putting it mildly! I guess one of Sharon's great curses is that she has lost so many people in her lifetime, and I think a lot of that built-up pain and heartache bubbles just below the surface with Sharon at all times. It's also given her a thick skin and she has become stronger than some people might think over the years, but Sharon's main concern is looking after Albie and being there for her son. It is not an option for her to be separated from him, so she will do whatever it takes to protect that family unit by protecting her freedom."

Sharon heads straight to The Vic to see Linda. What sort of reception does she get?

"It's icy! Linda and all of the women think Sharon left them in the lurch to flee to Australia whilst they've been panicking and covering this up back in Walford.

"Even though she's dealing with her own heartbreak, I think Sharon soon realises just how much all of the women have sacrificed, what with Linda relapsing, Kathy losing Rocky by shopping him to the police and Denise struggling to cope and having her marriage break down. She doesn't take any of that for granted, and I think naively, she wants to come back and somehow put it all behind her and move forward."

Do you think Sharon and Linda's relationship is forever changed since Christmas, or is Sharon eternally grateful to Linda for saving her life?

"Absolutely. The events of Christmas have changed all of the women, and I think they will be forever bound together because of this secret. The sad fact of the matter is that if Linda hadn't stopped Keanu, he could have killed Sharon, and that's an incredibly hard truth to swallow amongst everything else. In fact, I don't think Sharon even wants to believe it because, in her world, she can't accept that.

"Now that Sharon is back, she is determined to be there for Linda and help her navigate everything with the rest of the women. I don't think she has a plan – I don't think any of them do, they're just putting one foot in front of the other and hoping for the best!"

Just when it appears Sharon is ready to face Walford again, she learns the worrying news that the murder weapon has gone missing, and Johnny knows all about Christmas. How does Sharon take control of the situation?

"Sharon has been geographically separated from the issue, so she hasn't really lived in the reality like the rest of the women have. However, it's not out of sight, out of mind, because I honestly don't think she's thought about much else whilst she's been away. Coming in as an outsider, she immediately realises the trust is broken between all of the women, so she wants to quickly restore some sense of order and get them all back united. Ultimately, if one of them falls, they all do, so Sharon is a woman on a mission!"

How do the rest of The Six react to seeing Sharon again?

"Much like Linda! But Sharon doesn't want to waste time explaining chapter and verse about why she chose to leave. The situation is now about getting the missing murder weapon back and protecting all of their freedoms."

To add insult to injury, Sharon also comes face to face with an angry Phil, who wants access to Albie. Is she ready to let him into their son's life?

"At some point, she knows she's going to have to face him and have that difficult chat about Albie, but she doesn't have the headspace to worry about anything else other than what happened at Christmas. Phil is Phil, so he doesn't let her get away with it that easily and demands an audience with her, but she's distracted, and he retaliates. They did love each other once, and there was a time when Sharon wanted nothing more than Phil to be Albie's dad, but compared to everything else that is going on for her, it's not at the top of her priority list. But I think for all of Phil's faults, he would undoubtedly put his son first."

Just when all of The Six think they're in the clear once again, disaster strikes when the café floor caves in. How does she feel?

"It's the unimaginable for all of them. Up until this point, they have managed to dodge every hurdle, some more successfully than others, but there is no escaping this one."

Does Sharon think it's game over, or is she determined to get herself out of this predicament?

"Her first concern is Albie. Accepting what she believes is her inevitable fate, Sharon heads straight to Phil to make him promise to look after their son. He, of course, has no idea about her real motives, but she needs to make sure that if something were to happen to her, that their son would be safe."

Read more:

• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• EastEnders reveals Ben Mitchell crime amid his arrest in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders’ Dean Wicks tells shock new lie in Jade story in early iPlayer release
• EastEnders’ Denise Fox finally dumps cheating Jack Branning – and plans divorce
• EastEnders characters recall memorable affairs amid Stacey and Jack scandal
• EastEnders airs dramatic aftermath of affair bombshell in early iPlayer release
• EastEnders confirms steroid story for struggling teen Denzel Danes
• EastEnders' Martin Fowler uncovers secret affair in early iPlayer release

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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