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Sharon Ann Watts (née Stretton, previously Mitchell, Rickman and Beale) is the daughter of Gavin Sullivan and Carol Hanley and the adopted daughter of Den and Angie Watts. She is also the mother of Dennis Rickman Jr and Albie Watts and the grandmother of Alyssa Lennox. She is the ex-wife of Grant and Phil Mitchell as well as Ian Beale and the widow of Dennis Rickman. The character is portrayed by Letitia Dean and made her first appearance on 19 February 1985.
Backstory
Sharon Ann Stretton was born on the 22nd October 1969, to Gavin Sullivan and Carol Stretton. Her parents gave her up for adoption and she was fostered by Den and Angie Watts, from the age of four. They then wanted to make it official, so they went through the adoption process, changing Sharon's surname from Stretton to Watts.
When Sharon was a child she would catch her mother Angie crying over a gin about something Den had done, usually involving a woman.
Storylines
1985-1990: Relationships and discovering Michelle's secret
Sharon lives with her adopted parents, Den and Angie, in the flat above The Queen Victoria public house in Albert Square, Walford, where they are landlords.
Her teenage romance with Ian Beale in 1986 ends when Sharon realises she prefers a more experienced man. She begins a relationship with Simon Wicks, who ends their relationship when she refuses to have sex.
In 1987, she seeks refuge from her turbulent home life with church curate, Duncan Boyd. Sharon is torn between her conflicting parents until their marriage deteriorates and, in 1988, Angie emigrates.
When Den gets involved in gangland crime, he is shot and assumed dead. Shortly after Den's death, Michelle confesses to Sharon that Vicki Fowler is her sister and Sharon is angry and hurt at Michelle. Soon after, Sharon discovers Den's signet ring on a market stall. With Den's body missing, Sharon convinces the police to drag a nearby canal in April 1990 and is devastated when a body is found and identified as Den's. Sharon resumes a relationship with Simon, whom she hopes to settle down with, but the relationship ends when Simon's affair with Cindy Beale is revealed. Sharon remains working at the Queen Vic as a barmaid. She starts dating Grant Mitchell in 1990.
1991-1995: Cheating on Grant with Phil and departure
Although Sharon is perturbed by this, she discovers that Grant's violent behaviour results from traumatic experiences as a paratrooper in the Falklands War nearly a decade earlier, and agrees to marry him in 1991. Grant makes this happen and Sharon becomes the new licensee after Eddie is murdered by Nick Cotton in September 1991. Grant springs a surprise wedding on Sharon on Boxing Day. Although she is initially unimpressed with his romantic gesture, Sharon marries Grant following persuasion from Michelle.
Sharon and Grant's marriage is tempestuous and rows occasionally end in violence. Wondering if she has married the wrong brother, Sharon has sex with Phil in September 1992 but chooses to stay with Grant. Neither wants to tell Grant and when he is released, Sharon takes him back, leaving Phil dejected. Following this Phil then agrees to marry Nadia Borovac, a Romanian woman he met in Southampton, so she can stay in the UK, which Sharon disapproves of but allows the wedding to go ahead.
Grant finds the tape and, on the night of Phil and Kathy's engagement party in October 1994, he plays it to a packed pub. She goes to stay with Angie in America but returns in March 1995 to hostility from the Mitchells. Wanting revenge for her mistreatment, she leads Grant on while telling Michelle that she plans to humiliate him publicly. Grant attempts this on the Vic's quiz night; Sharon is all set to turn him down but suddenly cannot go through with it and stops him from proposing. She confesses that she still loves him, then returns to America alone.
2001-2006: Back in the Vic, relationship with Tom and marriage to Dennis
In May 2001, Phil and Grant's mother Peggy Butcher sells the Queen Vic and is furious to discover that Sharon is the new owner. Peggy, however, tries to break them up and fails. Sharon tells Phil that she is infertile after having an abortion. Knowing that Phil wouldn't be happy without children of his own, Sharon ends the relationship and returns to America to be with her mother.
After Angie dies from liver cirrhosis, Sharon returns to Walford in April 2002 to bury her. She refuses to reconcile with Phil again and, instead, starts dating an old school friend, Tom Banks. The relationship survives but Tom's unstable wife, Sadie Banks, gets in the way and from jealousy she holds Sharon hostage and threatens suicide unless Tom takes her back. Sadie is soon sectioned. Sharon sells her share of the Queen Vic back to the Mitchells in September 2002 and purchases a nightclub with Tom, naming it "Angie's Den". On the night of their engagement party, however, Tom discovers a fire at the house of fellow neighbours 'Little' Mo Morgan and her abusive husband Trevor Morgan. After helping Little Mo escape the fire with Trevor's son, Tom attempts to rescue Trevor - but the pair are killed when the fire explodes.
In early 2003, Vicki returns to Walford. She and Sharon soon discover that they have a half-brother - Dennis Rickman - who was the product of one of Den's affairs thirty years earlier. They discover that Dennis and his mother, Paula Rickman, were still living locally in the home of his late grandparents but Paula has just died and Dennis was serving a prison sentence for GBH.
Dennis has links to the same criminal organisation as Den and in July 2003 he discovers that Den is alive. Two months later, he tells Sharon of this revelation but she refuses to believe him. Dennis and Sharon fall in love but their romance is halted by Den's return at the end of September. Den resumes the position as head of the family and is disgusted when he discovers Sharon and Dennis' romantic relationship. He blackmails Dennis into ending it. The couple plan to move to America on Christmas Day but Zoe announces she is pregnant - a ruse Den concocts to split up Sharon and Dennis. Sharon refuses to let Dennis abandon his child and leaves Walford with Vicki.
Sharon returns briefly in February 2005 when summoned by Den's wife, Chrissie Watts, with the news that Den is ill. Chrissie, Zoe, and Sam Hunter confront Den about various deceitful deeds, including Zoe's fake pregnancy and his affairs. Disgusted, Sharon leaves, disowning Den. In a rage, Den attacks Chrissie and she hits him over the head repeatedly with a cast-iron doorstop, killing him.
Dennis reunites with Sharon in America and in June 2005 they return to Walford to confront Den. Chrissie claims that he has left with another woman - which surprises them, especially as his departure had come so soon after realising his dream of buying back the pub. Sharon and Dennis get married on 29 August 2005. During their reception, however, Sam is arrested for digging up Den's body to incriminate Chrissie. However, Sam is charged with Den's murder. Her brothers, Phil and Grant, return weeks later to convince Sharon of Chrissie's guilt. Sharon and Grant resolve their past grievances, as do Dennis and Phil, and the four work together with Peggy to bring Chrissie to justice. Eventually, Phil and Grant manage to extract a tape of Chrissie confessing to Den's murder - thus proving her guilty to the police. While Sam would later be released from prison, Sharon personally confronts Chrissie just as she attempts to flee the country and punches her to avenge her father's death. Chrissie is then arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
On Christmas Day 2005, Sharon is stunned to discover that she is pregnant. She and Dennis celebrate the potential of having a child. When Sharon starts to intervene in Johnny's personal affairs in an attempt to warn him to stay away from Dennis, he throttles her and proceeds to give Sharon an ultimatum - he will kill Dennis unless they leave Walford by midnight on New Year's Eve. Phil, seeking to get one over Johnny before the end of 2005, later informs Dennis about the threat after telling him that Johnny killed his best friend Andy Hunter. At first Dennis refuses to submit to Phil's temptation in confronting Johnny about Andy's murder, but relents after Phil describes the way how Johnny threatened Sharon earlier on. Dennis ends up attacking Johnny to avenge both Andy and Sharon, leaving him battered as Phil had hoped. At the stroke of New Year's Day, Sharon and Dennis spot each other and they start to reunite until Dennis has a run-in with a person - and ends up getting stabbed. Dennis stumbles upon Sharon and dies in her arms. Heartbroken and devastated over her husband's death, Sharon refuses to speak after requesting Phil to avenge Dennis' murder. At Dennis' funeral, Sharon attacks Johnny when he turns up. Phil takes her home. Concerned for her unborn child, Phil persuades Sharon to return to Florida to live with Michelle in January 2006. Sharon later gives birth to a son which she names Dennis Rickman Jr.
2012-2017: Return, painkiller addiction, being attacked and marrying Phil
Sharon returns to Walford in August 2012, asking Phil to help her retrieve Dennis from her fiancé, John Hewland, whom she has just jilted at their wedding ceremony. Sharon and Jack's romance is complicated by Phil, who is determined to reignite a relationship with Sharon. A feud between Jack and Phil ensues, with both proposing to Sharon. She accepts Jack's proposal but, realising he still loves his former wife Ronnie Mitchell, Jack cancels the wedding. Phil then persuades Sharon to move in with him but she struggles to cope with Jack's rejection and resumes dependency on painkillers, an addiction that developed to manage her grief following Dennis' murder. When Sharon passes out unconscious while looking after Phil's granddaughter Lexi Pearce, he throws her out.
In December 2013, Sharon reunites with Phil and moves back in with him. Sharon's trust in Phil is tested when he confesses his part in Dennis' fatal altercation with Johnny in 2005, but she nevertheless remains with him and together they buy a new bar, The Albert. To re-assert his authority and demonstrate Sharon's vulnerability, Phil hires two men to vandalise the bar, but his plan goes awry when Sharon dismisses the bouncers Phil employs to intercept the vandalising. Sharon confronts the vandals alone and they critically injure her - she is hospitalised with a ruptured spleen. Guilt-ridden, Phil confides in his ex-lover Shirley Carter, who helps conceal his botched plan. He confides in Shirley who convinces him that Sharon hates him and they begin an affair. Phil vows to humiliate Sharon by dumping her at their wedding so he can be with Shirley. Enraged at Phil's rejection and unable to stop the marriage going ahead, Shirley declares at the post-wedding dinner that she and Phil had sex. Distraught and humiliated, Sharon attempts to flee but Phil persuades her that he loves her. He suggests that sleeping with Shirley sickens him and, when Sharon forces him to say this to Shirley's face, Shirley threatens to shoot him with Sharon's gun. Phil dismisses her threats but, in a tussle between the women, Shirley fires the gun and Phil is shot. Sharon is distraught at nearly losing Phil and when he regains consciousness, he persuades her to put her anger aside and give their marriage a try.
When Sharon receives a letter from her birth mother, Carol, in 2015, she is ambivalent about resuming contact. She eventually decides to reconnect but discovers that Carol has recently died.
When Dennis slaps Sharon across the face during an argument, Ian confronts Sharon about her parenting skills and, following a row, she finally realises that she needs to control his bad behaviour.
Phil is blackmailed into signing The Albert over to Vincent Hubbard, forging Sharon's signature. Sharon is angry but Phil pacifies her by revealing that he has traced her father, now going by the name of Gordon Cook. Sharon offers Gordon more money to double-bluff Phil and brings him home to Walford.
Sharon insists that Vincent return half of the business back to her, otherwise she will take him to court, so they become business partners. Phil gives Sharon another address for her father. She sees from his house that he must be wealthy and realises that the two already lead separate lives so she gives up the search.
Sharon suspects Phil of having an affair with "K" who, unbeknownst to her and Ian, is Kathy Sullivan. Sharon soon comes face to face with Kathy. She reveals to Sharon that Phil has known that Kathy has been alive since Ben killed Heather Trott, so Sharon leaves Phil and moves into Ian's house. Phil goes missing and it is later revealed that Gavin Sullivan, Kathy's controlling husband, has taken him hostage. Phil later returns and collapses and Sharon takes him back. Concerned for her husband, Sharon remains hostile towards Kathy, although Ian attempts to keep the peace between them. This behaviour persists until Halloween when Sharon arrives home to find Gavin threatening to kill both Kathy and Ben Mitchell. He reveals that he is her biological father. She is disgusted when she discovers that Gavin handed Sharon to Den as a business trade. When the police arrive, Sharon has allowed him to escape. Sharon discovers that Phil has been drinking again, which, after trying to take alcohol from him, leads to Sharon's ear being cut.
When Bobby kills Dennis' pet spider, Sharon tells Jane and Ian she will go to the police about Bobby killing Lucy. Sharon ends her friendship with Ian. Gavin visits and supports Sharon in the hospital, and offers her a chance to live with him in Hong Kong when Dennis recovers, but Sharon declines, promising to still keep in touch. Phil then pledges to always stand by her and Dennis. Sharon is stunned when Phil admits that he was driving, so Sharon leaves him and renews her friendship with Ian. Gavin visits her again saying that he wants a second chance of having a family. Sharon then learns from Phil's daughter Louise Mitchell, whom Phil had tracked down earlier that morning, that Phil has collapsed and is in hospital. When Dennis is discharged from the hospital, Sharon calls Gavin, telling him that they are coming with him.
She, Ronnie, Billy Mitchell, Honey Mitchell, Ben and Jay Brown all find out at the hospital that unless Phil stops drinking and undergoes an urgent liver transplant, he is likely to have only twelve months left to live. Ronnie tries to convince Sharon to visit Phil, but Sharon tells her that Phil caused Dennis' injuries. Sharon then has the locks changed and tells Ronnie that she will not let Phil come back. Phil files for divorce and Sharon agrees, moving in with Ronnie when Phil moves back in with his family. Sharon supports Phil who is trying to come to terms with Peggy's impending death. However, Sharon shares an intimate moment with her apologetic first husband Grant who is briefly back in Walford on her tip off, before making amends with Peggy. She carries on supporting Phil following Peggy's death. Soon after, Sharon is incensed by Bobby's attack on Jane, revealing the truth about Lucy to Ben in her anger and worry. Despite this, Sharon gives Bobby moral support during police questioning until DI Samantha Keeble tells her to leave. Sharon and Phil receive letters saying their divorce is close to being finalised but Sharon tells Shirley that they are back together. Sharon and Shirley pack away Peggy's things so Phil can move back in but when he finds out, he is angry. However, Sharon tells him that Peggy will never be coming back and he cries in her arms.
Sharon is unaware that Dennis has stayed in contact with Gavin. Buster Briggs tells Sharon that Kathy has gone with Gavin, so they go to Gavin's house. As they arrive, Sharon's solicitor and Gavin's sister, Margaret, falls on Buster's car after being pushed from a balcony by Gavin, and she dies instantly. Buster and Sharon break into the house to help Kathy. Sharon talks to Gavin, urging him to hand himself into the police, who have arrived on the scene, and she promises not to turn her back on him if he does so. He says he will, but then when she lets him out of the room, he tries to escape but is trapped on the balcony. The police arrive on the balcony and he threatens to jump with Sharon but she says he would never do that to himself so he lets her go and is arrested.
Sharon goes to visit Michelle without telling anybody, after she finds a letter that Michelle had sent to Peggy, Ben goes missing and Sharon returns and contacts Grant to help find him. She is shocked when Grant's daughter, Courtney Mitchell, tells her that he is not coming, but she coincidentally then finds him outside the police station. He tells her that he loves her, but she rejects him. Phil then discovers Michelle's letter, learning that Grant fathered her baby 21 years previously. To stop Phil telling Grant the truth about his son, Mark Fowler Jr, Sharon tells Phil about Grant's declaration of love. However, Grant finds out the truth and Sharon confirms it to Mark when he works it out.
When Sharon discovers that Phil has changed his will, leaving everything to Louise, she forces him to change it to include her. After Phil has been sober for six months, he decides he does not want a liver transplant and he should be allowed to die. On Christmas Day, a new liver is found for Phil and his surgery is successful.
After an accident on New Year's Day 2017, Sharon has to tell Phil the news that Ronnie and Roxy have died.
Sharon overhears Denise Fox confess to Shirley that Phil is the father of her unborn child. Sharon makes plans for her and Dennis to move back to Florida until Sharon realises that Phil did not cheat on her as she and Phil were not together at the time he had sex with Denise. Michelle confides in Sharon that since Mark left home with his girlfriend, she and Tim have not had sex for almost two years. She confides in Sharon she broke the law by having a relationship with a 17-year-old student while she was a teacher. Phil demands to see his son but Sharon gets them to talk calmly. Sharon agrees to help Phil fight for his son but then stands by him when he agrees to the adoption.
Michelle arranges for Sharon and Phil to spend time alone together and Phil decides to take Sharon on holiday. When Michelle is involved in a car crash after her affair with Preston Cooper is exposed, Sharon returns after receiving a phone call from Ian. Sharon tells Ian and Martin Fowler that she knew about Michelle and Preston's affair and she convinces Preston to leave. This angers Michelle when she regains consciousness. Sharon remains in Walford while Phil is still in Italy.
Sharon supports Louise when she believes she was raped by Keegan Baker after her drink was spiked at a party. Sharon confronts Keegan's mother, Karen Taylor and Karen punches Sharon. The investigation is dropped due to a lack of evidence and Keegan admits that he lied about having sex with Louise. After he returns from Italy, Phil tells Sharon that he wants to adopt Dennis.
2018-2023: Affair with Keanu, losing Dennis, poisoning Ian and Keanu's death
Phil participates in a robbery arranged by Aidan Maguire but the money they stole from Ciara Maguire goes missing. Ciara sends her sister-in-law, Mel Owen, to Walford to find the stolen money and Sharon admits to Mel that she took it. Mel tells Ciara and Sharon is forced to return the money. When Phil discovers that Sharon took the money, he initially orders her to leave, but forgives her and is impressed with her when she explains that she was going to give it to him.
Their relationship starts to deteriorate due to Phil's bullying behaviour and her boredom with simply being his stay at home wife. Sharon finds herself becoming attracted to Phil's employee, Keanu Taylor. After Phil announces that he is going to Spain for two months without Sharon, she becomes furious at his thuggish behaviour and throws an ornament at the wall. Despite Phil's attempts to explain himself, Sharon dismisses his excuses as she grows ever more tired of his neglect of her. After Phil leaves for Spain, Sharon invites Keanu over to the house where they kiss and have sex. After arranging to meet at the canal, Keanu sees Linda Carter disposing of the gun used to shoot Stuart Highway. Sharon pays Keanu to keep quiet about what he saw. After Keanu posts the money back to Sharon and informs the police of what he saw, leading to Linda's arrest, Sharon is furious. After opening up to each other, with Sharon confessing the secretive gangster life Phil lives is not for her, they make up. Sharon fears Dennis has caught her and Keanu together, but it later turns out to be a false alarm. When Keanu struggles to find work, Sharon attempts to help him, initially by persuading Kat Moon to allow him to fix her moped, and then letting Keanu use Phil's car as a taxi service. Sharon is jealous of Keanu's friendship with Hayley Slater, and spitefully takes Phil's car back from him although Keanu later reassures her there is nothing between him and Hayley. After a misunderstanding over the age at which Keanu can become a cab driver, Sharon discovers he's only 19, younger than she believed him to be. The age gap unsettles Sharon and she ends their affair, however, they later reconcile.
Sharon starts receiving threatening text messages from an unknown person regarding their affair. At a party at the Queen Vic, Sharon and Keanu are seen kissing by Karen who demands that they stop the affair. Sharon is then shocked to find out it has been Louise sending her text messages. She manages to persuade Louise that she has misunderstood everything and successfully persuades her to drop the accusation before ending the affair with Keanu once more. Keanu asks to remain friends with Sharon and she initially agrees, but when a goodbye kiss between them turns into sex, she admits that things will be too weird between them and tells him that they should stay away from each other. However, they reunite their affair again weeks later, and when Phil returns whilst they're in bed, Keanu is forced to hide under the bed whilst she has sex with Phil. Sharon's confusion over who she wants to be with ends with her ending her affair with Keanu for good, and going to stay with Michelle in Australia to clear her head. After Keanu continues to try and contact her she leaves a message for him to move on and Keanu then sleeps with Louise.
Sharon returns two months later to witness Keanu and Louise kissing, now in a relationship, which she is jealous of. Keanu confronts her in the Vic toilets, saying he still has feelings for her, but Sharon denies she feels the same. After Keanu ends his relationship with Louise and pursues Sharon again, she convinces Phil to send him to Spain on a job, which she is unaware is dangerous. After Keanu confronts her and tells her of the danger, she tries to convince him not to leave, but he does so anyway, telling her it's over. Keanu is beaten up in Spain, and Karen rages at Sharon, threatening to tell Phil of the affair unless he saves Keanu. Phil travels to Spain to help him, and he later returns to Walford, telling Sharon that he blames her for what happened and now hates her. Sharon later discovers that Dennis has been involved with drug dealers, after Tiffany Butcher informs her. This results in her punching Stix Redman, breaking his nose and threatening him never to come near Dennis again.
After Louise is kidnapped, she and Keanu begin a relationship, something Sharon is uncomfortable with. Louise later discovers she is pregnant with Keanu's baby, but after she discovers Phil was initially paying him to be in a relationship with her, she breaks up with him and tells Sharon that she's pregnant and wants an abortion. Sharon takes her to the clinic and confides in her about her own abortion many years earlier that she believed had left her infertile. Unbeknownst to her, Louise does not go through with the abortion after talking to Lola Pearce about being a mother. Sharon tries to talk to Keanu after he finds out about the abortion. They have a heart to heart in The Arches where they both admit they loved the other and they give into temptation and sleep together again. They both agree it can't happen again the following day, and Ben nearly sees a tender moment between them.
After some persuasion from Sharon, Louise eventually reveals to Keanu that she's still pregnant and they reunite. At the same time as Sharon takes a pregnancy test and discovers she is also pregnant. This causes her stress as she does not know who the baby's father is. After looking at abortion clinics on the computer, Phil accidentally discovers that Sharon's pregnant and Sharon lets him believe that the baby is his. Phil later announces to the family that Sharon is pregnant, against her wishes. When Keanu discovers she's pregnant and that he could be the father, he decides that he should tell Louise about their affair. Sharon and Karen kidnap him in order to prevent this, tying him up in a warehouse in order to scare him by showing him what Phil would do if he found out. After a confrontation on the roof where Sharon tries to tell him it's not his baby, he returns home, promising not to reveal their affair as his future is now with Louise. Sharon breaks down again at home and later decides with Phil that they need to have tests as there is a risk to the baby at her age.
Mel’s son, Hunter Owen, escapes from prison, holds Louise hostage and shoots Ben, before being shot dead by the police. Phil tells Sharon to refuse Mel from using the E20 accounts to fund Hunter's funeral, leaving Mel devastated. After Sharon calls Hunter a “heartless psychopath” in an argument following the funeral, Mel swears revenge on Sharon and the Mitchells. After discovering Keanu is the father of Sharon’s baby, Mel blackmails Sharon for money and a villa in Portugal. Sharon travels to Portugal to purchase a villa for her in fear of her secret being discovered. Upon returning, Mel also tries to force Sharon to sell her half of the E20 to Ruby Allen. Sharon is eventually forced to relent.
Mel organises a surprise joint birthday party for Sharon’s 50th and Louise’s 18th and informs Phil of the sale of E20, Sharon realises that Mel plans to expose her affair to the entire party. With Mel rushing to meet Phil (in Louise's new car) at the airport, Sharon follows her so Mel hastily attempts to reveal all over the phone to Billy Mitchell. However, Mel’s car violently crashes and flips over before she can. Whilst Sharon manages to pull Mel from the wreckage before it explodes, Mel continues to hear Hunter’s voice and stumbles towards the wreckage before being hit by a lorry, killing her instantly and leaving Sharon devastated. Later, back at home, Lisa Fowler confronts Sharon over what happened and informs Phil that Sharon’s baby is not his. Sharon furiously tells Lisa that Mel died of her own accord and heads upstairs mortified that her secret looks set to be crumbling. Sharon tries to tell Phil that Lisa's mental illness along with her grief have caused her to say these things but Phil's suspicions are aroused further at Mel's funeral when Lisa says that Sharon is carrying another man's child and that she was only paying for Mel's funeral out of guilt. Sharon tells the pub that Lisa is unwell and when Louise is in labour, Sharon and Phil have a row in which Sharon again denies the allegations Lisa has spread. Sharon then lies to Phil and says she is at Denny's parents evening when she goes to visit Lisa and confesses in the hope that telling the truth will destroy Louise's life. Lisa agrees to remain silent but Phil discovers Sharon lied about the parents evening and is soon on to her.
On Christmas Eve 2019, after being suspicious since Mel’s death, Phil realises that Keanu is the father and confronts Sharon the next day, throwing her out of the house. Sharon is disowned by the Mitchell family, including her own son. Sharon later stays at the Queen Vic, but leaves after an argument with Linda on New Year's Eve and moves in with Ian, to Kathy’s disapproval.
Sharon fears that Keanu may have been murdered but Linda tells her that she and Martin faked his death in order to trick Ben and that there is evidence on Martin’s burner phone. Sharon later breaks into his shed and steals the phone, which results in Phil and Ben being arrested.
Sharon is devastated when Denny drowns after a boat crash on the Thames the same night that she gives birth to Keanu's baby, Kayden Watts. She tells Keanu to go after blaming their affair and her previously falsely swearing on Denny's life to Louise there was no affair. A couple of days later, on meeting her new grandson, Karen accidentally lets slip to Sharon that Keanu revealed that it was Phil who caused the boat crash whilst fighting with him. Breaking into Phil's, Sharon, wearing Denny's hoodie, contemplates suicide but doesn't go through with it. Ian supports her emotionally. Sharon gives new son Kayden away, struggling with the enormity of organising Denny's funeral. On the day of the funeral, Sharon is furious when Phil returns but eventually bonds with him when she realises that he is also grieving for Denny. They share a kiss and reignite their relationship. Phil promises Sharon that he will buy her the Queen Vic, when he discovers that Linda and Mick Carter are planning to sell it. However, a confused and heartbroken Sharon cannot deal with everything and she leaves to spend time with Michelle.
Sharon returns several weeks later and she decides to give her relationship with Phil another go, even though Ian is secretly harbouring feelings for her. She moves back in with Phil. Sharon later finds a present that Denny had wrapped for his unborn sibling. This makes Sharon realise that she was wrong to give up Kayden. Karen, though heartbroken, returns him to her. However, Phil is angry when he learns that Sharon wants to bring up Kayden after all. She leaves Kayden with Phil for a few hours. Although Phil tries to bond with the baby, he later tells Sharon that he can't have Kayden around him, as he reminds him of her affair. Sharon is shocked when Phil tells her that Denny would still be alive if it weren't for Kayden and he forces her to choose between her son and him. Sharon chooses her baby and as a result, Phil throws her out and vows that he will move into the Vic himself and will not let Sharon have it.
When Linda learns of Phil's behaviour towards her friend, she refuses to sell the Vic to Phil. In June 2020, Sharon reveals that she has bought the Vic from the Carters with Ian's help.
Later in the year, Sharon discovered that Ian had locked Denny in a room on the boat. She asks Phil to try and murder him but Ian survived. Sharon married him in hospital under false pretences. On Christmas Day, Sharon started poisoning Ian by crushing pills into his food, this culminated on 22 January 2021 when Sharon admitted everything to Ian, prompting Ian to leave Walford.
In March 2021, Sharon and Kathy attend Gavin's funeral. They meet a young man called Zack who expresses his hatred of Gavin. Having angered Gavin's cousins, Zack flees the wake and hides in Kathy's car as he watches the cousins smash up his own. Before leaving, Zack reveals that Gavin was his father, leaving Sharon and Kathy speechless. Zack soon moves to Albert Square and gets to know Sharon and Albie.
On 13 December 2022, Keanu returns. Sharon initially tells Keanu to stay away from her and Albie. Eventually, she allows Keanu to spend time with his son.
On 20 February 2023, Sharon and Keanu meet in the Vic for a date, they flirt, but Sharon doesn't want to take things further after what happened last time. Sharon then goes to the toilet, however Keanu follows her and promises to never hurt her again. Sharon and Keanu then have sex in the toilets, when the two come out some of the people in the Vic clock onto what they were doing. Keanu and Sharon's date goes well until Sharon overhears a voicemail on Keanu's phone from Sam Mitchell offering him a job at Peggy's but also mentions their past fling in Spain which Sharon was not aware of. Sharon then leaves Keanu, insisting that they are done. Karen has ago at Sharon for her treatment of Keanu and she decides to give him another chance. Sharon later learns about Chelsea Fox and Keanu's fling from Karen and arranges a fake date with Keanu and is furious when Keanu doesn't admit to sleeping with Chelsea the night before, Sharon then throws a drink over Keanu and leaves. Keanu spends weeks trying to win Sharon back- he asks Sharon for a job at the gym but she says no. Keanu later asks Sharon to marry him at her re-launch of The Boxing Den. However an embarrassed Sharon runs off, Keanu runs after Sharon and continues to tell Sharon that he loves her, Sharon admits that she does have feelings for Keanu but she doesn't want to be hurt again. Keanu kisses Sharon and agrees to give her some space. Sharon tells him that she can't marry him but she want's to get to know him properly.
Keanu suggests to Sharon that they should have a christening for Albie, Sharon agrees and the two begin handing out invites. When Ravi Gulati beats Keanu almost to death, Sharon then hears a voicemail from Keanu and realises that Ravi was responsible for the attack, Sharon later calls the police and has Ravi arrested. Keanu wakes up and Sharon asks Keanu to marry her, Keanu agrees and the two become engaged. Keanu is horrified to learn that Sharon has called the police on Ravi. He tells Sharon that Ravi did this to him because he thought Keanu might grass. Keanu then makes a statement to the police, insisting that Sharon got it wrong and that he only walked past Ravi before he was attacked. Keanu is later released from hospital.
On 5 June 2023, Ben sells the Arches to Sharon to clear his debts after Keanu's financial trouble, Sharon later tells a furious Phil that she has brought the Arches for Keanu. Sharon tells a shocked Keanu to swallow his pride and make a success of the Arches, Keanu is later annoyed when Sharon hires Reiss Colwell to do the accounts for the Arches.
On 20 July 2023, Lisa and Peggy Mitchell Jr return to Walford and Lisa blackmails Keanu. Lisa suggests that Keanu steals money from Sharon. Keanu tells Lisa that he's going to tell Sharon, however Lisa threatens to tell Sharon that the £3,000 Keanu had previously gave her came from his and Sharon's wedding fund. It is later revealed Lisa is blackmailing Keanu because she is broke due to a gambling addiction, which Sharon finds out when she lets Lisa stay at her house. Sharon agrees to get Peggy back for Lisa if she tells Keanu the truth and allows Keanu access to Peggy. Sharon tells Phil about Lisa's gambling addiction and convinces Phil to give Peggy back to Lisa and pay for her to get home, Lisa talks to Keanu and tells him the truth. After Keanu returns from going out, he discovers that the Peggy's passports are missing, unknown to him that Martin and Sharon gave Lisa the passports. Lisa and Peggy fled the country, with Sharon hugging a miserable Keanu. Karen blames Sharon for the situation but Keanu defends Sharon insisting she's not to blame. Keanu discovers a voicemail from Lisa to Sharon revealing Sharon's betrayal. Keanu then goes to the Vic and plays the voicemail in front of Sharon and the whole pub. Keanu later dumps Sharon but makes her promise that she will still let him see Albie.
Keanu asks Sharon if he can look after Albie. Sharon says no at first but when she later agrees to a meeting with Dorian Gates, she agrees to let Keanu see Albie. Keanu later goes out to get him and Albie fish and chips but is angry when he spots Sharon and Dorian. To get back at Sharon, Keanu doesn't give Albie back to her on time and instead decides to take Albie out for the day and get his ear pierced. Both actions leave Sharon furious when Keanu returns with Albie. Sharon and Keanu later argue in the Vic where Keanu confirms that he took Albie out for the day to get back at Sharon for going on a date with Dorian. Sharon realises that Keanu is jealous and tells him that she is not seeing Dorian.
Sharon wants to get a solicitor to arrange a parenting plan for her and Keanu. Keanu is on-board with the idea and later meets Sharon and her solicitor, Claire Chappell, at the Boxing Den with Karen. Keanu notices a section that says Sharon will have the right to decide Albie's future. Sharon then reveals to Keanu that she has a job coming up in Abu Dhabi. Keanu is furious and doesn't agree to Sharon's conditions but, due to Keanu not being on Albie's birth certificate, the solicitor tells Keanu that he doesn't have any rights over Albie. Later, Keanu successfully seduces Sharon.
Dorian later returns and demands payment from Sharon but she refused and Keanu walks in and threatens Dorian with a baseball bat, Dorian leaves but warns he'll be back with heavies. After Keanu fails to flee the country with Albie, he finds out that Sharon and Zack have both called the police. Keanu claims that he took Albie to the park and he turned his back to get an ice cream for Albie and someone took him. Sharon is devastated and the police interview Sharon and Keanu. Keanu suggests that Dorian could have kidnapped him, but Dorian is found by the police in Birmingham and has an alibi, ruling him out of being a suspect. Sharon, Zack, Keanu (who had faked the kidnapping) and Whitney Dean receive a ransom note saying that if they would return Albie for £50,000. Phil and Kat later hear about Albie's kidnap and Phil offers to give them the money and help. Sharon and Keanu later confront Dorian and he swears that he didn't take Albie and says he was with his daughter and even shows them a picture. Keanu and Sharon believe Dorian and he tells them that he hopes they get Albie back. Sharon later receives another ransom note saying if the money was given tomorrow Albie would be returned. Phil offers to take the money to the kidnapper and kill them and Sharon accepts. Keanu later convinces Sharon to let Karen drop off the money instead of Phil and Sharon agrees. Karen then gets Albie from her sister Kandice Taylor's boyfriend Malcolm and returns Albie to Sharon. Keanu begs Sharon not to take Albie away from him and Sharon tells Keanu that she won't go to Abu Dhabi and Keanu tells her that he wants her back. The two then kiss and reunite. Karen does not approve of Keanu getting back together and visits Sharon and tries to convince Sharon not to get back with Keanu but Sharon tells Keanu. When Tommy Moon finds the bag of money and takes some to show Phil, Phil storms into the Vic and announces the news in front of the Taylors and Sharon. Karen admits to being behind the kidnap and takes the blame for it to protect Keanu. Sharon slaps Karen and threatens to call the police on her. Keanu begs Sharon not to. Karen, Mitch, Bailey, Mackenzie and Mia all leave Walford, however Bernadette decide to stay. Sharon and Keanu then announce that their wedding will be on Christmas Day in the Vic.
After finding out some time ago that Albie is Phil's son not Keanu, Sharon tells Linda. A drunk Linda talks about it at Sharon's hen do and Kat Mitchell hears. Kat says that she will tell Phil, however Sharon says that if Kat ruins her relationship with Keanu, Sharon will ruin Kat's relationship with Phil and her kids. The next day, Sharon and Kat promise to each other that if all is found out Kat knew nothing about it.
As Sharon and Keanu are about to get married on Christmas Day, Phil storms in after being informed by Bernadette that it was Keanu who was behind the kidnapping all along. A horrified Sharon then drops the bombshell that Albie is not Keanu's son - he is Phil's. Later at the Vic, Sharon, Linda, Kathy and Denise are having a drink. Phil enters asking if Sharon will let him see Albie once everything has settled down. Sharon doesn't want him messing up Albie's life but Phil won't back down. Sharon nods and Phil leaves. A while later, Stacey and Suki knock on the Vic doors after Nish tries to attack Suki. The women suggest inviting Nish over to the pub so Suki can confront him about her relationship with Eve and to tell him to leave. Nish goes to grab Suki by force, with the rest of the women trying to stop him. Denise hits him over the head with a champagne bottle, causing Nish to fall unconscious. Sharon checks his pulse and announces that he is dead. Keanu enters the pub and sees Nish on the floor. He asks where Albie is and Sharon tells him that he is safe and to leave. Keanu goes round the bar to head upstairs but Sharon stops him. Keanu says he is taking his son as he isn't safe with Sharon, assuming she has killed Nish. Sharon reminds him that he is the one who will go to prison for kidnapping and insists that Albie is not his son. Keanu resorts to strangling Sharon. The women panic, Kathy and Denise desperately try to get him off her. Linda spots a meat thermometer fork next to the phone and picks it up and stabs Keanu in the back, saving Sharon but killing Keanu in the process. The six women bury Keanu's body under the floor of the burned down café.
2024-: Time in prison, brief relationship with Teddy and reuniting with Vicki
On 9 January 2024, Sharon leaves with Albie to visit Michelle in Australia. She returns on 1 April and catches up with the other women. The café floor caves in and Denise and Stacey retrieve the necklace before anyone can identify it. That same night, Bernadette Taylor discovers a body under the floor and the entire square plus police are alerted. On 4 April, the police confirm that the body is that of Keanu. Later that day, Sharon grieves with Bernadette but is later is arrested on the suspicion of murdering Keanu as Bernadette and Felix Baker are suspicious of her. The Six are desperate for a plan so they frame Dean, especially after discovering he had tampered with daughter, Jade Masood's medication and his rape to Linda in 2014. The plan goes successfully as they plant evidence and Dean is charged, and Sharon is free.
With Dean charged, they believe they're in the clear, though Sharon knows it won't be long until the funeral arrives. On the other hand, Zack is in desperate need of support when it unveils that he had cheated on Whitney with Lauren. Sharon, being disappointed and ashamed, still supports Zack and tries to reassure him to make things up to Whitney. Sharon later begins to notice that Albie is asking more and more about Keanu's recent absence and wants to see him, Sharon proceeds to hide the truth whilst the funeral is almost underway.
Not long before the funeral, Sharon notices a serious decline in Linda's state of mind and how the drinking is affecting her, fearful that she'll end up like Angie. So, with the help of Johnny, Sharon soaks Linda with the shower to sober her up and make her aware of the severity of her actions. Linda gets upset. A determined Sharon doesn't back down and takes her to an Alcoholic Support Meeting. Linda is reluctant at first, and struggles to open up, but later shares her story and feels better. Sharon is proud of her friend and is also thankful she didn't mention the murder.
On the day of Keanu's funeral, Karen returns and viciously banishes Sharon from the funeral, Linda and Kathy organise something in the Arches but it doesn't feel ethical. However, after some persuasion from Kat and Sonia, Karen hears Sharon out and they finally befriend each other after numerous years of hatred, hugging and grieving together. Sharon then says her goodbyes to the Keanu and attends the funeral. As she endeavours to put her mind to rest, Sharon makes the hard choice to tell Albie that Keanu has gone to heaven, she explains it in an appropriate way for a child and concludes that Keanu will never come back. Albie struggles to understand as expected but Sharon hugs him - this is a turning point for Albie's father figure as Phil then steps up and finally spends some time with Albie, bonding and getting to know him. When it seems okay, Phil reads a message from Linda about being in the clear.
Phil then questions Sharon over her actions and Sharon is forced to explain the full thing to Phil, Phil understands and promises to not go to the police, Sharon iOS thankful and they then reminisce on the past together and their marriage. Shortly after, they kiss after believing that they are soulmates forever. This kiss goes no further however, as Sharon becomes distant with Phil. Some time later, newcomer Teddy Mitchell arrives and bonds with Sharon flirtatiously, he initially sets a bad impression but takes her out for a drink and they meet properly. They continue to bond as time goes forward.
Reiss assists Sharon with her accounts following Keanu's death. He discreetly scams her ands transfers some of her money to his account for personal use. A few days later, Reiss returns to Sharon and says that she has to pay £13,500 of corporate tax (which is another lie). Sharon is annoyed and tries to get Reiss to find a loophole - though, he is unsuccessful. Sharon manages to deal with the payment, although Phil is suspicious of Reiss' lies - knowing that they stay on top of tax. Sharon is later annoyed to discover that Linda has relapsed. Sharon learns that Linda is planning on retracting her witness statement, putting Sharon and The Six back in the negative spotlight - Sharon pleads with Linda to not go ahead with it because they'll lose everything, Linda refuses so Sharon gets Phil to try and have a word, which doesn't work. Sharon tries to persuade Johnny to not let Linda see a brief after receiving threatening texts and letters.
Sharon later discovers that Bernadette forced Linda to drink and Sharon is livid, she confronts Bernadette but she lashes out at Sharon. Phil gets suspicious that Bernadette could know something so Sharon gets her on side by paying for her rent for a few months. Later on, Sharon receives a threatening text from an unknown number, similar to Linda's. Sharon fears the worst when Zack is involved in a Crush at Peggy’s, but he is ok. Kathy later reveals her certainty that Bernadette is the messenger. Sharon and Linda confront Bernadette the next day and she confesses to her actions, showing no guilt - Later that day, Bernadette chucks red paint over Sharon and stamps "Murderer" on her door, shouting to the whole square that she's a murderer.
The following week, when Sharon makes her statement, she fumbles multiple times and can't get her story straight, she gets aggressive when she is shamed for her past marriages and shouts at the judge, then gets held for contempt of court. Phil makes some calls and quickly visits Sharon, she reveals she has been sentenced to 7 days, which she should be able to handle. Sharon is then shocked to learn that Linda has come forward about the truth behind the murder, but is locked away before she can do anything. Sharon requests a call to Albie but is declined, Sharon then meets her cellmate Doreen Coleman who she forms a neutral bond with, although Doreen reunites Sharon with an old acquaintance - Chrissie Watts.
Sharon is shocked to see Chrissie and tries to dismiss her, but she quickly learns that Chrissie is the ‘top dog’ of the prison and has dominance, Chrissie kindly allows Sharon to call Albie. Later on, Chrissie and Sharon discuss Den’s death and details about the past, Chrissie admits that she does miss him and regret it at times. Sharon sees a new side to Chrissie and forgives her for the murder. Later, Chrissie sets a prisoner on Sharon to ‘teach her a lesson’. Two Prisoner’s do this and torment Sharon, stealing her food and almost stabbing her, but Sharon luckily slips away. After a few words with Doreen, Sharon discovers Chrissie was behind this and insults Chrissie, revoking her forgiveness. Chrissie then causes a riot in the prison to get Sharon alone, Chrissie forces Sharon into her cell whilst armed.
Kill count
Connected murders and deaths
- Audrey Trueman (6 September 2001) (indirectly caused) - On 4 September 2001, Sharon paid two dodgy builders to do her kitchen up in the Queen Vic flat. However, one of the builders throws a metal poll out of a window and Audrey gets hit by it. On 6 September 2001, Audrey dies from a brain haemorrhage as a result of being hit by the falling debris.
- Lucy Beale (18 April 2014) (association) - Helped cover up the crime and knew her husband Phil Mitchell had framed Max Branning and persuaded him to keep quiet.
- Tina Carter (28 December 2020) (indirectly caused) - Her and Phil let Tina take the blame for the attempted murder of Ian Beale. Tina was then killed by Gray Atkins whilst on the run.
- Keanu Taylor (25 December 2023) (indirectly caused) - Sharon was attacked by Keanu after a verbal altercation turned physical and he was stabbed by Linda Carter. She helped carry his body over to the café and helped bury him under the floor.
Attempted murder victims
- Phil Mitchell (31 March 2020) - Attempted to stab Phil as revenge for causing her sons death, but is stopped by Ian and Kathy Beale.
- Ian Beale (4 December 2020) (by proxy) - Ordered Phil to murder Ian for his part in Dennis's death.
- Ian Beale (25 December 2020 - 22 January 2021) - As Phil was unable to kill Ian, Sharon begins poisoning Ian. Starting with a Christmas pudding, over the span of a month, she poisons his cups of tea. eventually giving him a fatal dose of poison in a carbonara, but Ian discovers what she's been doing.
Fight count
Punches
- Chrissie Watts (8 November 2005)
- Phil Mitchell (14 January 2016)
- Stix Redman (9 April 2019)
- Karen Taylor (20 June 2019) (knocked out)
- Keanu Taylor (25 December 2023)
- Nicola Mitchell (11 March 2025)
Total: 6
Individual characters punched: 6
Total punches: 6
Slaps
- Michelle Fowler (4 April 1989)
- Simon Wicks (19 June 1990)
- Phil Mitchell (22 October 1992)
- Grant Mitchell (12 November 1992) (x6)
- Peggy Mitchell (11 October 2001)
- Tom Banks (14 June 2002)
- Phil Mitchell (19 September 2003) (during a fight with Phil)
- Dennis Rickman (15 July 2005)
- Jack Branning (15 August 2012)
- Jack Branning (5 March 2013)
- Phil Mitchell (8 April 2013)
- Max Branning (22 January 2015)
- Ian Beale (27 March 2015)
- Phil Mitchell (1 June 2015)
- Ian Beale (22 January 2021)
- Keanu Taylor (2 May 2023)
- Karen Taylor (7 December 2023)
Total: 17
Individual characters slapped: 12
Total slaps: 22
Knees
- Jack Branning (15 August 2012)
Total: 1
Individual characters kneed: 1
Total knees: 1
Employment history
| Occupation | Years Active |
|---|---|
| Co-owner and Licensee of The Queen Victoria | 1993-1995, 2001-2002 |
| Owner of Angie’s Den | 2002-2005 |
| Manageress of R&R | 2012-2014 |
| Owner of R&R | 2013-2018 |
| Co-owner and Licensee of The Dagmar | 2014-2015 |
| Co-owner and Co-licensee of The Dagmar | 2015-2016 |
| Co-owner of e20 | 2018-2019 |
| Owner and Licensee of The Queen Victoria | 2021 |
| Owner of Crunch Time | 2021-2023 |
| Co-manager of Peggy's | 2022 |
| Co-owner of The Boxing Den | 2023- |
| Owner of Taylor’s Autos | 2023-2024 |
Residence
Quotes
- "Mum'll like it." (first line on 19 February 1985)
- "Hello Peggy, bet you never thought you'd see me again." (first line said to Peggy Mitchell upon her return on 24 May 2001)
- "Hello Phil. What can I get ya?" (last line said to Phil Mitchell before the show's hiatus - due to COVID-19 and lockdown - on 16 June 2020)
Background information
- As of 2025, Sharon has the second highest number of doof-doofs of any character in EastEnders' history with 257, ahead of Ian Beale (223), but behind Phil Mitchell (371).
- In 2022, Letitia Dean won the outstanding achievement award at The British Soap Awards for her role as Sharon Watts, with many cast members including Gillian Taylforth, Diane Parish, Kellie Bright and Steve McFadden praising her hard work and dedication to the show, Letitia was presented this awards by former on-screen mother Anita Dobson (Angie Watts).
See also
- Sharon Watts - List of appearances
- Sharon Watts - Gallery
- Who Attacked Ian Beale?
- Sheanu
- Christmas 2023