Letitia Dean
Encyclopedia
Letitia Dean is an English
actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts (later Rickman) in the popular BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995. She reprised the role in 2001 and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in January 2006. Dean has said in various interviews since she left that she would never say never to another comeback, and more recently said she would like to return as Sharon, but that she had not been asked by the producers yet.
Away from EastEnders Dean has appeared in various television programmes and on stage. In 2007 she participated in the fifth series
of the popular BBC dance competition, Strictly Come Dancing
. Dean married media executive Jason Pethers in 2002, but in 2007 it was announced that they had split.
rented on the grand estate of British
romantic novelist Barbara Cartland
, known as Camfield Place. The youngest of three children, Dean has two older brothers, Stephen and Martin.
Dean's family moved to a Buckinghamshire
village when she was three years old. She acquired a penchant for performing at an early age; both she and her older brother Stephen attended a local dance school, and they also performed a dance act together on stage. This later prompted Dean's successful application to attend the Italia Conti Academy Theatre Arts
at ten years old, and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School
in Marylebone
, London
, which has famously produced some of Britain's most familiar television and musical stars. Dean stayed at the school as a full-time student for several years learning her trades of acting, singing and dancing.
, at London's Victoria Palace Theatre
. A trained singer, she played the lead female, Sandy, in the stage musical Grease
, and she also sang with a rock group called "The Young Uns", which toured the country supporting stage acts such as Bobby Davro
and Tom O'Connor.
Between the ages of 13 and 17, Dean appeared in numerous television programmes, including: Love Story; Tales Out Of School;. the Matthew Kelly
sitcom Relative Strangers; Grange Hill
, playing a student named Lucinda Oliver; and the role of Dawn in the Channel 4
soap opera Brookside
. In 1984, Dean auditioned to play one of the original characters in BBC1's brand new soap opera, EastEnders
—she was selected for an interview on the strength of a photograph alone. The creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland
and Julia Smith
, were looking for a "bouncy, attractive, oddly vulnerable young woman" to play the part of Sharon Watts
, and out of the various applicants they had seen, only Dean had all of those qualities. Dean lied about her roots to get the part in the soap. As the casting directors were only looking for real 'East End' actors, she falsely claimed that she was born and raised in Hackney
, east London. The lie paid off and she got the part, clinching the deal because of her laugh, which Holland and Smith have described as "the dirtiest in the world!"
, the troubled and spoilt adoptive daughter of landlords 'Dirty' Den
(Leslie Grantham
) and Angie Watts
(Anita Dobson
), from the show's inception in 1985 until 1995. Initial storylines centred around the difficulties Sharon faced growing up with an adulterous, over-protective father and an alcoholic, irrational mother. Struggling to grow up in this environment, Sharon was constantly torn between the two. Bombshells such as best friend Michelle's
(Susan Tully
) confession that she was pregnant with Den's child, as well as her father's alleged murder, helped to make Sharon one of the most popular and long-running characters in the show's history.
During her time on the show Dean even managed minor musical chart
success with fellow
EastEnders star Paul Medford (who played Kelvin Carpenter
). A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show known as The Banned, prompted them to release a single entitled "Something Outa Nothing
", which made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart
in November 1986.
In the latter years of her initial stint on EastEnders, Dean featured in some of the soap's most renowned storylines, including the infamous love triangle
with her then on-screen husband Grant Mitchell
(Ross Kemp
) and his brother Phil
(Steve McFadden
). The plot, nicknamed 'Sharongate
', gave the soap one of its highest episode ratings and was watched by over 25.3 million viewers. Despite her popularity on the show, a desire to pursue other acting roles and escape press attention prompted Dean to leave the soap in 1995.
Six years after her initial exit, Dean was lured back to EastEnders by producer John Yorke, where she reprised the role of Sharon Watts (landlady of the Queen Vic), from 2001 to 2004, and again from 2005 to 2006. Dean's character was once again the focus of many controversial and popular storylines, including: the 'resurrection' of her infamous father Den Watts
, believed to be dead, only to reappear very much alive 14 years later; the unveiling of her father's killer, Chrissie
(Tracy-Ann Oberman
) — who caused his second demise in 2005; the reappearance of ex-husband Grant Mitchell
; and her 'forbidden love' with her adoptive brother Dennis Rickman
, played by Nigel Harman
—A popular storyline that was nicknamed "Shannis" (a portmanteau of
Sha-ron and De-nnis) by EastEnders fans and other media. Sharon has been described as one of the soap's most unlucky characters, suffering an unfortunately high number of romance-related and family-related tragedies.
Dean has had several exits or 'extended breaks' from the show in recent years, and each time there has been much press speculation over whether she has quit permanently or whether she is just taking a scheduled break. In December 2004 the Sunday Mirror
reported that at one time executive producer
Kathleen Hutchison
offered to double Dean's salary from £150,000 a year to £300,000 a year, in order to persuade her to remain in the show. If true, this would have made Dean one of the highest paid actresses in British soap.
Dean left the series once again in January 2006. Her exit was announced in August 2005 and an official EastEnders press report stated that she was merely taking a scheduled break and was due back on set later in 2006; however, this did not happen, and in June 2006 the BBC denied press speculation that there were any immediate plans for her to return to the series. Whether Dean will reprise the role in the near future is unknown; however, in an interview with Graham Norton
in October 2007, Dean remarked that she would "never say never" to making another comeback and there are regular media reports which suggest that she is due to return at some stage.
In February 2009, in an interview with Alan Titchmarsh
, Dean said she missed EastEnders and that she would definitely not rule out returning but the BBC had not yet asked her to return. Again, in December 2009, in an interview with Loose Women
, Dean was asked would she like to be involved in the show's 25th Anniversary of Eastenders and said Yes, she'd like to, but the BBC had not yet asked her.
Letitia has given interviews for EastEnders Revealed: The Greatest Cliffhangers which counts down through the top 100 characters who have ended the show with the legendary drum roll that all fans instantly recognise as the closing soundtrack to EastEnders. The programme will be split into three parts, starting on 26 January 2010, as part of the 25th Anniversary.
, set in a Derby
telephone exchange in the 1960s; medical dramas Casualty and Doctors
; the ITV
police drama The Bill
; romantic comedy Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married
, and the Channel 4
sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey
as a weathergirl. She also starred in the 1995 film England, My England, which told the story of the musician and court composer Henry Purcell
.
On stage she starred as Nurse Fay in the Joe Orton
comedy play
, Loot
, working alongside actor Michael Elphick
. She also played a prostitute in the revival of Chris Dyer
's 1960s play Rattle of a Simple Man
at the Alexandra Theatre
, Birmingham.
In 2007, Letitia Dean participated in the fifth series
of the BBC celebrity dance contest, Strictly Come Dancing
. She was partnered with the professional dancer, Darren Bennett
. Dean and Bennett were voted out in the quarter-finals (week 10), one week before the semi-final. Commenting on her experience, Dean said "It's been incredible. I've got to thank [Darren Bennett] for all his patience, hard work, all the injuries. It's been wonderful." Dean was one of several celebrities who took part in the 2008 Strictly Come Dancing UK arena tour. She competed against former EastEnders stars, Louisa Lytton
(Ruby Allen, 2005–2006), and Matt Di Angelo
(Deano Wicks, 2006–2008). The tour began in January 2008 and visited various venues throughout the UK, with all the proceeds going to the Children in Need
appeal.
In April 2008, it was announced that Letitia Dean will be starring in the stage show High School Musical
as Ms Darbus. Dean commented, "It's a lovely opportunity for me [...] It's something completely different to anything I've ever done - doing an American accent and playing this kind of character." The production played at London's Hammersmith Apollo
from June 2008 until 31 August 2008.
In January 2009, Dean released a fitness DVD entitled Letitia Dean's Lean Routine after she dropped from size 14 to size 10 on an intensive dieting and dancing regime. Dean joined the cast of the stage production of Calendar girls
in 2009, playing Cora (Miss July); the production requires its cast to appear on stage naked.
are rumoured to have a special clause in their contracts that permits them time off from filming to star in a pantomime each year. In 2001 she starred as Snow White
at The Orchard in Dartford
; and in 2004 she starred in Jack and the Beanstalk
at the Birmingham Hippodrome
, alongside British comedians Joe Pasquale
and Don Maclean
. In 2006, Dean appeared as the wicked witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
at The Deco, Northampton
, taking over the role from her former EastEnders co-star, Gillian Taylforth
, who pulled out due to ill health. December 2007 saw Letitia Dean appear as the Fairy Godmother
in Cinderella
, at The Regent Theatre Ipswich
. December 2008 saw Letitia Dean appear as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
, At the Grove Theatre, in Dunstable
and she played the role again at the Ashford Theatre in Croydon in 2009.
, but lost out to Suranne Jones
from Coronation Street
. Fellow EastEnders actresses Jessie Wallace and Kacey Ainsworth were also nominated. She was also nominated in the category of Best Dramatic Performance for "Den's Return" but lost out to Mark Charnock of Emmerdale. At the 2005 Inside Soap
awards, Dean was presented with the coveted award for outstanding achievement as homage to her work in EastEnders, which she has been in (on and off) for over 20 years, since the age of 17. She was also nominated in the category of Best Couple (shared with Nigel Harman
).
in her teens. Dean has since stated that she is a lot more comfortable in her own skin, and far more relaxed about public interest than she used to be as a teenager, commenting: "I have stopped pleasing people - and I'm calmer and more self assured than I've ever been."
Dean is known to have dated the Irish
comedian
Ed Byrne
; Niel McLintock, the son of Arsenal
hero Frank McLintock
; Martin Ball
, the one time star of the Nescafé adverts to whom she was also engaged; former Crossroads actor Colin Wells and former Bad Girls and Coronation Street actor Jack Ellis (both before they were married) and the musician Chris Taggart, whom she met in panto at Liverpool. In 2001 Dean got engaged to media executive Jason Pethers after knowing him for only a few months. They married in September 2002 at The All Saints Church in Marylebone. Her close friend and EastEnders co-star, Susan Tully
, was a bridesmaid
at the wedding. Many of Dean's fellow cast-mates from EastEnders (past and present) attended the wedding including: Wendy Richard
, Barbara Windsor
, Pam St Clement, Ross Kemp, Steve McFadden
, Gillian Taylforth
, Gretchen Franklin, June Brown
, Lucy Benjamin
, Adam Woodyatt
, Anna Wing
, Paul J Medford, Todd Carty
, Ricky Groves
, Hannah Waterman
, Laila Morse
and on-screen mum Anita Dobson
, also, former Queer as Folk
actor Antony Cotton
. However, after five years of marriage, it was announced in 2007 that Dean and Pethers had separated. Dean subsequently began a relationship with model and dancer Bowen Perrin, after meeting on the set of the Ipswich panto production Cinderella during Christmas 2007. Dean is 18 years Perrin's senior.
Her older brother, Stephen J. Dean, is also a performer; they have appeared together on stage in several pantomimes. As well as acting, Dean is a keen singer (with a mezzo-soprano
voice) and tap dancer.
, were involved with the third world charity, Plan International, and were sent to a remote village in Senegal
to help highlight one of the organisation's aid projects — designed to bring running water to drought hit areas.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts (later Rickman) in the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995. She reprised the role in 2001 and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in January 2006. Dean has said in various interviews since she left that she would never say never to another comeback, and more recently said she would like to return as Sharon, but that she had not been asked by the producers yet.
Away from EastEnders Dean has appeared in various television programmes and on stage. In 2007 she participated in the fifth series
Strictly Come Dancing (Series 5)
The fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing began on BBC One on 29 September 2007, with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returning as presenters....
of the popular BBC dance competition, Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
. Dean married media executive Jason Pethers in 2002, but in 2007 it was announced that they had split.
Early life
Dean was born in Hertfordshire to parents Leslie (a tailor) and Ellie Dean, in a cottageCottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
rented on the grand estate of British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
romantic novelist Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland
Dame Barbara Hamilton Cartland, DBE, CStJ , was an English author, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century...
, known as Camfield Place. The youngest of three children, Dean has two older brothers, Stephen and Martin.
Dean's family moved to a Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
village when she was three years old. She acquired a penchant for performing at an early age; both she and her older brother Stephen attended a local dance school, and they also performed a dance act together on stage. This later prompted Dean's successful application to attend the Italia Conti Academy Theatre Arts
Italia Conti Academy
The Italia Conti Academy is a theatre arts training school based in London. It was founded in 1911 by actress Italia Conti...
at ten years old, and later the Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
in Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which has famously produced some of Britain's most familiar television and musical stars. Dean stayed at the school as a full-time student for several years learning her trades of acting, singing and dancing.
Early career
Dean has been performing professionally since the age of 12, when she was cast as "Pepper" in the hit stage musical, AnnieAnnie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
, at London's Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
. A trained singer, she played the lead female, Sandy, in the stage musical Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, and she also sang with a rock group called "The Young Uns", which toured the country supporting stage acts such as Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
and Tom O'Connor.
Between the ages of 13 and 17, Dean appeared in numerous television programmes, including: Love Story; Tales Out Of School;. the Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly is an English television presenter and Olivier-award winning actor. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as You Bet! and Stars in Their Eyes...
sitcom Relative Strangers; Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
, playing a student named Lucinda Oliver; and the role of Dawn in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
soap opera Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
. In 1984, Dean auditioned to play one of the original characters in BBC1's brand new soap opera, EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
—she was selected for an interview on the strength of a photograph alone. The creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland
Tony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
and Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
, were looking for a "bouncy, attractive, oddly vulnerable young woman" to play the part of Sharon Watts
Sharon Rickman
Sharon Anne Rickman is a fictional character from the popular BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean, who was a regular cast member for the first 10 years after the programme began on 19 February 1985. She returned in May 2001, and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in...
, and out of the various applicants they had seen, only Dean had all of those qualities. Dean lied about her roots to get the part in the soap. As the casting directors were only looking for real 'East End' actors, she falsely claimed that she was born and raised in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, east London. The lie paid off and she got the part, clinching the deal because of her laugh, which Holland and Smith have described as "the dirtiest in the world!"
EastEnders
Dean played Sharon WattsSharon Rickman
Sharon Anne Rickman is a fictional character from the popular BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean, who was a regular cast member for the first 10 years after the programme began on 19 February 1985. She returned in May 2001, and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in...
, the troubled and spoilt adoptive daughter of landlords 'Dirty' Den
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
(Leslie Grantham
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham is an English actor best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the soap opera EastEnders. He is also a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a German taxi driver, and he generated significant press coverage as the result of an online sex scandal...
) and Angie Watts
Angie Watts
Angela "Angie" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the show until 1988 when the actress decided to quit and the character was written out....
(Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
), from the show's inception in 1985 until 1995. Initial storylines centred around the difficulties Sharon faced growing up with an adulterous, over-protective father and an alcoholic, irrational mother. Struggling to grow up in this environment, Sharon was constantly torn between the two. Bombshells such as best friend Michelle's
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actress Susan Tully.Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square...
(Susan Tully
Susan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
) confession that she was pregnant with Den's child, as well as her father's alleged murder, helped to make Sharon one of the most popular and long-running characters in the show's history.
During her time on the show Dean even managed minor musical chart
Chart
A chart is a graphical representation of data, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart"...
success with fellow
EastEnders star Paul Medford (who played Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul J. Medford.Kelvin was a bright spark and full of initiative. He opened several businesses in Albert Square and even formed a band. He was a bit of a heartbreaker in EastEnders early years, but he ended up...
). A song penned for the pair as part of a plotline in the show known as The Banned, prompted them to release a single entitled "Something Outa Nothing
Something Outa Nothing
"Something Outa Nothing" is a song written by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, for the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It featured in an EastEnders storyline in 1986 and was recorded by actors Letitia Dean and Paul J. Medford...
", which made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in November 1986.
In the latter years of her initial stint on EastEnders, Dean featured in some of the soap's most renowned storylines, including the infamous love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
with her then on-screen husband Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
) and his brother Phil
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
). The plot, nicknamed 'Sharongate
Sharongate
"Sharongate" is the term used for a storyline in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which reached its climax on 24 October 1994, attracting 25.3 million viewers. The plot was written by EastEnders scriptwriter, Tony Jordan. In the storyline, Sharon Mitchell confessed on tape that she had slept with...
', gave the soap one of its highest episode ratings and was watched by over 25.3 million viewers. Despite her popularity on the show, a desire to pursue other acting roles and escape press attention prompted Dean to leave the soap in 1995.
Six years after her initial exit, Dean was lured back to EastEnders by producer John Yorke, where she reprised the role of Sharon Watts (landlady of the Queen Vic), from 2001 to 2004, and again from 2005 to 2006. Dean's character was once again the focus of many controversial and popular storylines, including: the 'resurrection' of her infamous father Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
, believed to be dead, only to reappear very much alive 14 years later; the unveiling of her father's killer, Chrissie
Chrissie Watts
Christine "Chrissie" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared in April 2004 as the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts, becoming a prominent regular for the next 18 months...
(Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English television, theatre and radio actress, known for her role as Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera Eastenders...
) — who caused his second demise in 2005; the reappearance of ex-husband Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
; and her 'forbidden love' with her adoptive brother Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nigel Harman. He entered the show on 14 April 2003 and made his last appearance on 30 December 2005, when he was fatally stabbed as the midnight fireworks began. He is part of the Watts family, though his...
, played by Nigel Harman
Nigel Harman
Nigel Derek Harman is an English actor, most famous for his role as Dennis Rickman in the UK soap opera EastEnders. He has worked extensively in theatre, with the stage being described as his "first love"...
—A popular storyline that was nicknamed "Shannis" (a portmanteau of
Sha-ron and De-nnis) by EastEnders fans and other media. Sharon has been described as one of the soap's most unlucky characters, suffering an unfortunately high number of romance-related and family-related tragedies.
Dean has had several exits or 'extended breaks' from the show in recent years, and each time there has been much press speculation over whether she has quit permanently or whether she is just taking a scheduled break. In December 2004 the Sunday Mirror
Sunday Mirror
The Sunday Mirror is the Sunday sister paper of the Daily Mirror. It began life in 1915 as the Sunday Pictorial and was renamed the Sunday Mirror in 1963. Trinity Mirror also owns The People...
reported that at one time executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include Playing the Field, Holby City and Casualty @ Holby City.-EastEnders:...
offered to double Dean's salary from £150,000 a year to £300,000 a year, in order to persuade her to remain in the show. If true, this would have made Dean one of the highest paid actresses in British soap.
Dean left the series once again in January 2006. Her exit was announced in August 2005 and an official EastEnders press report stated that she was merely taking a scheduled break and was due back on set later in 2006; however, this did not happen, and in June 2006 the BBC denied press speculation that there were any immediate plans for her to return to the series. Whether Dean will reprise the role in the near future is unknown; however, in an interview with Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
in October 2007, Dean remarked that she would "never say never" to making another comeback and there are regular media reports which suggest that she is due to return at some stage.
In February 2009, in an interview with Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
, Dean said she missed EastEnders and that she would definitely not rule out returning but the BBC had not yet asked her to return. Again, in December 2009, in an interview with Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, Dean was asked would she like to be involved in the show's 25th Anniversary of Eastenders and said Yes, she'd like to, but the BBC had not yet asked her.
Letitia has given interviews for EastEnders Revealed: The Greatest Cliffhangers which counts down through the top 100 characters who have ended the show with the legendary drum roll that all fans instantly recognise as the closing soundtrack to EastEnders. The programme will be split into three parts, starting on 26 January 2010, as part of the 25th Anniversary.
Other work
Away from EastEnders Dean has had various theatre and television roles. She starred in two series of the BBC drama The Hello GirlsThe Hello Girls
The Hello Girls is a British comedy-drama which originally aired on BBC One over two series from 5 September 1996 to 13 August 1998. It was also produced by the BBC....
, set in a Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
telephone exchange in the 1960s; medical dramas Casualty and Doctors
Doctors (BBC Soap Opera)
Doctors is a British daytime television soap opera, set in the fictional Midland town of Letherbridge, defined as being close to the City of Birmingham. It was created by Chris Murray; Mal Young drove its development, and Carson Black was the original producer. The first episode was broadcast on...
; the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
police drama The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
; romantic comedy Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married
Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married
Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married is an international best selling 1996 novel by Irish author, Marian Keyes. It chronicles the life of Lucy Sullivan, a 26-year-old perpetually broke, unlucky-in-love office worker from London, who has a penchant for bad boys, a needy, alcoholic and flawed father, a...
, and the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey
- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
as a weathergirl. She also starred in the 1995 film England, My England, which told the story of the musician and court composer Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
.
On stage she starred as Nurse Fay in the Joe Orton
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
comedy play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, Loot
Loot (play)
Loot is a two-act play by the English playwright Joe Orton. The play is a dark farce that satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force....
, working alongside actor Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
. She also played a prostitute in the revival of Chris Dyer
Chris Dyer
Chris Dyer is the former race engineer of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen at Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and currently an engineer of the team. Born in Bendigo, Victoria,-Early career:...
's 1960s play Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Diane Cilento, Harry H. Corbett and Michael Medwin. After travelling down from Manchester to watch the FA Cup final, a naive young man becomes involved with a prostitute.-Selected cast:* Diane Cilento as...
at the Alexandra Theatre
Alexandra Theatre
The New Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as The Alex, is a theatre on Station Street in Birmingham, England.Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The architects were Owen & Ward. The theatre was opened on 27 May 1901 as the Lyceum Theatre on John Bright Street;...
, Birmingham.
In 2007, Letitia Dean participated in the fifth series
Strictly Come Dancing (Series 5)
The fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing began on BBC One on 29 September 2007, with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returning as presenters....
of the BBC celebrity dance contest, Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
. She was partnered with the professional dancer, Darren Bennett
Darren Bennett (dancer)
Darren Lee Bennett is a professional dancer, as were his parents. With his wife Lilia Kopylova he has a successful career in professional Latin dancing, competing nationally and internationally. Darren's favourite dances are the Samba and the Foxtrot.They teach private lessons in their own studio...
. Dean and Bennett were voted out in the quarter-finals (week 10), one week before the semi-final. Commenting on her experience, Dean said "It's been incredible. I've got to thank [Darren Bennett] for all his patience, hard work, all the injuries. It's been wonderful." Dean was one of several celebrities who took part in the 2008 Strictly Come Dancing UK arena tour. She competed against former EastEnders stars, Louisa Lytton
Louisa Lytton
Louisa Lytton is an English actress born in Camden and living in Islington. She rose to fame in 2005 when joining EastEnders as Ruby Allen. After leaving EastEnders in late 2006, Lytton joined The Bill as PC Beth Green, who she played from May 2007 to March 2009. She also appeared on Strictly...
(Ruby Allen, 2005–2006), and Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...
(Deano Wicks, 2006–2008). The tour began in January 2008 and visited various venues throughout the UK, with all the proceeds going to the Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
appeal.
In April 2008, it was announced that Letitia Dean will be starring in the stage show High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
as Ms Darbus. Dean commented, "It's a lovely opportunity for me [...] It's something completely different to anything I've ever done - doing an American accent and playing this kind of character." The production played at London's Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
from June 2008 until 31 August 2008.
In January 2009, Dean released a fitness DVD entitled Letitia Dean's Lean Routine after she dropped from size 14 to size 10 on an intensive dieting and dancing regime. Dean joined the cast of the stage production of Calendar girls
Calendar Girls (play)
Calendar Girls is a stage play based on the film of the same nameAfter a successful tryout at the Chichester Festival Theatre and a lengthy national tour, a stage adaptation of the film started previewing in April 2009 at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End. The cast included Lynda Bellingham,...
in 2009, playing Cora (Miss July); the production requires its cast to appear on stage naked.
Pantomimes
As well as television and theatre work, Dean regularly appears in seasonal pantomimes—she and other EastEnders stars such as Steve McFaddenSteve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
are rumoured to have a special clause in their contracts that permits them time off from filming to star in a pantomime each year. In 2001 she starred as Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
at The Orchard in Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
; and in 2004 she starred in Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
at the Birmingham Hippodrome
Birmingham Hippodrome
The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including visiting opera and ballet companies, touring West End...
, alongside British comedians Joe Pasquale
Joe Pasquale
Joseph Ellis "Joe" Pasquale is an English comedian from Grays, Essex, arguably most famous for his high-pitched voice, use of visual gags and more recently being crowned "King of the Jungle", on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!...
and Don Maclean
Don Maclean
Don Maclean is an English actor and comedian, who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze, and Jan Hunt in the 1970s....
. In 2006, Dean appeared as the wicked witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
at The Deco, Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, taking over the role from her former EastEnders co-star, Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Kathy Mitchell on the BBC soap opera, EastEnders and as Jackie Pascoe-Webb on ITV's Footballers Wives , but more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's The Bill...
, who pulled out due to ill health. December 2007 saw Letitia Dean appear as the Fairy Godmother
Fairy godmother
In fairy tales, a fairy godmother is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies...
in Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, at The Regent Theatre Ipswich
Regent Theatre (Ipswich)
The Regent Theatre is a theatre, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The theatre holds just over 1,700 people, making it East Anglia's largest theatre....
. December 2008 saw Letitia Dean appear as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
, At the Grove Theatre, in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
and she played the role again at the Ashford Theatre in Croydon in 2009.
Awards
In 2004 Dean was nominated for the Best Actress Award at the British Soap AwardsBritish Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
, but lost out to Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones is an English actress. She first rose to prominence playing the role of Karen McDonald in ITV1's soap opera Coronation Street over a period of four years...
from Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Fellow EastEnders actresses Jessie Wallace and Kacey Ainsworth were also nominated. She was also nominated in the category of Best Dramatic Performance for "Den's Return" but lost out to Mark Charnock of Emmerdale. At the 2005 Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
awards, Dean was presented with the coveted award for outstanding achievement as homage to her work in EastEnders, which she has been in (on and off) for over 20 years, since the age of 17. She was also nominated in the category of Best Couple (shared with Nigel Harman
Nigel Harman
Nigel Derek Harman is an English actor, most famous for his role as Dennis Rickman in the UK soap opera EastEnders. He has worked extensively in theatre, with the stage being described as his "first love"...
).
Personal life
Growing up in the public eye was hard for Dean, and the constant media attention on her appearance (particularly her fluctuating weight) was especially tough, given her young and susceptible age. Dean has since stated that her self-confidence was damaged during this time, and this, as well as back pain, contributed to her decision to get a breast reductionBreast reduction
Reduction mammoplasty is the plastic surgery procedure for correcting over-sized breasts...
in her teens. Dean has since stated that she is a lot more comfortable in her own skin, and far more relaxed about public interest than she used to be as a teenager, commenting: "I have stopped pleasing people - and I'm calmer and more self assured than I've ever been."
Dean is known to have dated the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Ed Byrne
Ed Byrne
Ed Byrne is a Perrier Award-nominated, Irish stand-up comedian, voice over artist and actor. He has presented television shows Uncut! Best Unseen Ads and Just for Laughs, and is a regular guest on various television panel games...
; Niel McLintock, the son of Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
hero Frank McLintock
Frank McLintock
Francis "Frank" McLintock MBE is a Scottish former football defender who played for Leicester City, Arsenal and QPR.-Leicester City:...
; Martin Ball
Martin Ball
Martin Ball is an English theatre and television actor. He was born and grew up in Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. He trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and graduated in 1992.-Career:...
, the one time star of the Nescafé adverts to whom she was also engaged; former Crossroads actor Colin Wells and former Bad Girls and Coronation Street actor Jack Ellis (both before they were married) and the musician Chris Taggart, whom she met in panto at Liverpool. In 2001 Dean got engaged to media executive Jason Pethers after knowing him for only a few months. They married in September 2002 at The All Saints Church in Marylebone. Her close friend and EastEnders co-star, Susan Tully
Susan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
, was a bridesmaid
Bridesmaid
The bridesmaids are members of the bride's wedding party in a wedding. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony...
at the wedding. Many of Dean's fellow cast-mates from EastEnders (past and present) attended the wedding including: Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
, Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
, Pam St Clement, Ross Kemp, Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
, Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Kathy Mitchell on the BBC soap opera, EastEnders and as Jackie Pascoe-Webb on ITV's Footballers Wives , but more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's The Bill...
, Gretchen Franklin, June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
, Lucy Benjamin
Lucy Benjamin
-Career:Born Lucy Jane Baker in Reading, Berkshire, England, she took the stage name of Benjamin after her brother. Benjamin trained at the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead. Her first acting role was as a child actor in Doctor Who in 1983 playing a young version of the character Nyssa...
, Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
, Anna Wing
Anna Wing
Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing, MBE is an English actress. She has had a long career in television and theatre.-Personal life:...
, Paul J Medford, Todd Carty
Todd Carty
Todd Carty is an Irish actor and director, who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage work has varied from pantomime to serious drama, as well as radio plays, voiceovers, commercials, narrations, and films...
, Ricky Groves
Ricky Groves
Richard "Ricky" Groves is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in EastEnders from 2000–09. Before his role in EastEnders he appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill.-Other TV work:...
, Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman-Groves is an English actress, daughter of Minder star Dennis Waterman and his second wife, actress Patricia Maynard.-Career:...
, Laila Morse
Laila Morse
Laila Morse is an English actress, best known for playing Mo Harris in BBC series EastEnders and Janet in the 1997 movie Nil by Mouth ."Laila Morse" is an anagram of an Italian phrase for "my sister" - a name she...
and on-screen mum Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
, also, former Queer as Folk
Queer as Folk (UK TV series)
Queer as Folk is a 1999 British television series that chronicles the lives of three gay men living in Manchester's gay village around Canal Street. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies...
actor Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton is an English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk.-Early and personal life:...
. However, after five years of marriage, it was announced in 2007 that Dean and Pethers had separated. Dean subsequently began a relationship with model and dancer Bowen Perrin, after meeting on the set of the Ipswich panto production Cinderella during Christmas 2007. Dean is 18 years Perrin's senior.
Her older brother, Stephen J. Dean, is also a performer; they have appeared together on stage in several pantomimes. As well as acting, Dean is a keen singer (with a mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
voice) and tap dancer.
Charity work
In 1997 Dean along with her close friend, actress Susan TullySusan Tully
Susan Tully is an English television producer, director and former actress.Her most prominent television roles to date have been those of single mother Michelle Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and her pivotal part in early Grange Hill...
, were involved with the third world charity, Plan International, and were sent to a remote village in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
to help highlight one of the organisation's aid projects — designed to bring running water to drought hit areas.
Filmography
- Grange Hill (1984)
- BrooksideBrooksideBrookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
(1984) - Relative Strangers (1985)
- EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(1985–95, 2001–2004, 2005–2006) - Dimensions in TimeDimensions in TimeDimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...
(1993) - Casualty (1995)
- The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(1997) - The Hello GirlsThe Hello GirlsThe Hello Girls is a British comedy-drama which originally aired on BBC One over two series from 5 September 1996 to 13 August 1998. It was also produced by the BBC....
(1996; 1998) - Drop the Dead DonkeyDrop the Dead Donkey- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
(1998) - England, My EnglandEngland, My EnglandEngland, My England is a 1995 British historical film directed by Tony Palmer and starring Michael Ball, Simon Callow and Robert Stephens. It depicts the life of the composer Henry Purcell, seen through the eyes of a playwright in the 1960s who is trying to write a play about him. It was written by...
(1995) - DoctorsDoctors (BBC Soap Opera)Doctors is a British daytime television soap opera, set in the fictional Midland town of Letherbridge, defined as being close to the City of Birmingham. It was created by Chris Murray; Mal Young drove its development, and Carson Black was the original producer. The first episode was broadcast on...
(2000) - Lucy Sullivan is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting Married is an international best selling 1996 novel by Irish author, Marian Keyes. It chronicles the life of Lucy Sullivan, a 26-year-old perpetually broke, unlucky-in-love office worker from London, who has a penchant for bad boys, a needy, alcoholic and flawed father, a...
(1999; 2001)