"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 had sex with her husband's brother, Phil. The truth comes out in the middle of The Queen Victoria pub. Sharon's husband Grant attacked his brother and Phil was lucky to survive.
Sharon's affair with Phil (left) is discovered by Grant (right), a storyline dubbed Sharongate (1994)
Sharon Watts is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of EastEnders' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. She first appeared in the first episode broadcast on 19 February 1985 as the teenage adopted daughter of pub landlords Den and Angie Watts. Dean originally quit the role in 1995 after ten years, with Sharon departing following the breakdown of her marriage. In May 2001, Sharon was reintroduced by producer John Yorke, before departing in January 2006. Dean's return was announced in February 2012, and she later made her on-screen return on 13 August 2012 in a special week of episodes. Dean took a temporary break from the show and departed on 9 January 2024, and Sharon returned on 1 April 2024.
25.3 million viewers watched Grant (Ross Kemp, pictured) discover Sharon's affair with his brother Phil.
Grant and Phil's mother, Peggy Mitchell as played by Barbara Windsor (pictured), was featured prominently in Sharon's return storyline in May 2001, when she unwittingly sold The Queen Vic public house to her.
Dennis and Sharon marry
Sharon was reunited romantically with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden seen above) for a third time following her return in 2012.
