We should be used to it by now, but yes, we’re still thinking about EastEnders icons

Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) sharing yet another

passionate moment together. Sharon admitted her involvement in lover Keanu Taylor’s

(Danny Walters) murder, and a protective Phil promised to keep her secret; before a charged conversation about their past led to a kiss. The former Queen Vic landlady told Phil that she wasn’t ready for anything more, but we’re not convinced there will ever be a definitive end for Pharon, or is it Shil? We’ll have to work on that ship name! Still, the week’s events have inspired us to indulge in some welcome nostalgia. Sharongate affair (1992-1994) Married to Phil’s violent brother Grant (Ross Kemp), Sharon famously gave in to temptation with the gentler Phil after a heart-to-heart about just how unhappy she was. Putting their affair behind her, Sharon was accidentally recorded telling best mate Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) everything. Grant heard the tape and played her confession at Phil’s engagement party to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), before beating Phil so severely he ended up in intensive care. Shame-faced Sharon moved on, but this epic tale cemented a longstanding connection between her and Phil.

Sharon reveals Louise’s paternity (2001) At the time, Sharon had been told she could not conceive, but she knew that her now-partner Phil wanted children. Then Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin) told Sharon that her baby daughter, Louise, was in fact Phil’s child. Phil claimed that Sharon was the most important person in his life; but Sharon bemoaned the secrets and lies she had grown up around courtesy of dad Den (Leslie Grantham) and mum Angie (Anita Dobson), and dropped the bombshell of Louise’s paternity. Sharon ended their relationship, and she and Phil wouldn’t rekindle their romance until several years later. Two hander (2002) Phil and Sharon shared a dark night of the soul as Phil opened up about his abusive childhood at the hands of violent dad Eric. A young Phil eventually grew strong enough to stand up to Eric, ending the latter’s reign of terror against the whole family – a key moment which would later be depicted in a 2022 flashback episode.

Sharon, meanwhile, talked Phil through her memories of her warring parents. Powerful scenes with shining performances from Letitia and Steve. Betrayal and more betrayal (2014) Just as Sharon and Phil were finally ready to commit, Phil confessed that he had incited the murder of her soulmate Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), and she was devastated as she revisited the place where Dennis breathed his last. After some soul searching, Sharon forgave Phil – until she learned he had hired the thugs who attacked her in their bar. Sharon decided to fleece Phil for all he was worth; but he found out and planned to jilt Sharon at the altar. Neither of them could go through with it and, following a tense showdown, Phil tenderly promised that Sharon was safe with him, making her his Mrs Mitchell at last. Hours later, his ex, Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) revealed her affair with Phil and accidentally shot him; but he lived to survive his next brush with death and Sharon forgave his cheating alongside everything else.

Grief and guilt (2020) The ‘Sheanu’ saga led to a Christmas Day standoff and divorce for Sharon and Phil. His vendetta against Keanu culminated in a catastrophic confrontation on board The Vic’s boat party, causing the boat to crash and Sharon’s beloved son Denny (Bleu Landau) to drown. At the wake, broken Sharon screamed that she wanted to rip Phil’s heart out. But Phil was also grieving for his adoptive son, and as Sharon’s temper calmed, she took in his deep regret and they cried together. A brief reunion ensued, but Sharon eventually chose baby son Albie over Phil, unaware that Keanu wasn’t the real daddy… Murder plot (2020 Having learned that best pal Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) had locked Denny in a room on the boat before his untimely death, Sharon was out for blood. Ian was attacked by Phil, after which Sharon married Ian to keep up her innocent act. Then a festive scene saw a cold Sharon order Phil to finish the job and kill Ian. The storyline was a surreal watch and of course, Ian survived Sharon’s poisoned pasta. But if nothing else, this plot showcased the steadfast loyalty between Phil and Sharon, who have always had each other’s backs. Baby daddy (2023) Keanu orchestrated a fake kidnapping for Albie right under fiancée Sharon’s nose. At their Christmas Day nuptials, Phil exposed Keanu’s vile scheme, while Sharon revealed that tests showed Phil had been Albie’s biological father all along! We all know what happened next, as Keanu paid for his shocking behaviour with his life. As for Sharon and Phil, that massive paternity twist sealed the legacy of their enduring bond.