PRINCESS

This Xmas day, one of my favourite British soap characters leaves Eastenders apparently forever - again.

Letitia Dean plays the wonderful Sharon Watts. She's been Queen of 'The Vic' slapped by her mother in law a lot, had an affair with her husband's brother, a priest, a fireman and her adopted brother, had her mother and father die and then have her father come back from the dead, she's battled booze, had her deepest secrets revealed to all of Albert Square and she's quivered her lips a lot. Letitia has decided to leave the soap. She began in it in 1985 at the beginning of the show as Sharon Watts, Den and Angie's adopted daughter. She left in 1995 after humiliating her ex hubbie Grant and then returned as Queen of the Vic in 2000 as tough landlady with even tougher hair extensions!

I'll be gutted to see her go because she's such a well loved character and I hope she'll return soon. Apparently producers are trying to woo her back by doubling her salary and promising even bigger storylines.

My favourite Sharon moment has to be when she came back to the show in 2000. Arch enemy Peggy had to sell the pub, she arrived to see who the new owner was and there was Sharon Watts smiling back at her saying "Bet you never thought you'd see me again!"

Classic!