Letitia Dean's hair was compared to 'EastEnders' dog Roly's bottom when she joined the cast as a teenager.

Letitia Dean

Letitia Dean

The Albert Square star was just 17 years old when she first appeared as Sharon Watts on the BBC soap back in 1985, and her late co-star Leslie Grantham - who played her on-screen dad Dirty Den - couldn't resist making fun of her perm.

Speaking on spin-off show 'Secrets From The Square', she said: "Leslie used to say, because I had a perm back in the day, that I looked like Roly's a**e."

Letitia, now 52, also revealed she actually lied to land her role as Sharon because the Beeb bosses were only interested in casting London-born stars.

Reflecting on her audition, she said: "We had to be born in the sound of Bow Bells and I think we all told a porkie.

"Where was I born? In Barbara Cartland's estate in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

"I said my parents had to go and work away, and I was staying with relatives in the sound of Bow Bells."

Letitia was opening up on the BBC's new 'EastEnders' Monday night spin-off show, which is tiding fans over while the soap is taking "an inevitable break due to filming being postponed" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Host Stacey previously said: "I'm delighted to be hosting 'Secrets From The Square'.

"I grew up watching 'EastEnders', so walking onto Albert Square was a surreal experience as well as taking a trip down memory lane and interviewing some of the legends of Walford has been great. I've loved every minute of it!"

The broadcaster is also airing a selection of iconic episodes on Tuesday nights to let viewers "reminisce and relive some of the unforgettable moments from the past".