This week’s iconic EastEnders heads back to 1994 and the famous Sharon Mitchell, Phil Mitchell and Grant Mitchell ‘Sharongate’ reveal
The Walford soap goes back in time to another iconic episode, dubbed ‘Sharongate’ in the press (7.30 pm, see our TV Guide for full listings). First aired on Tuesday 25 October 1994, this was one of the most explosive episodes in EastEnders' history.
Long before ‘Sheanu’, Sharon Mitchell was involved in another shock love triangle, but this time Phil Mitchell was the ‘other man’ not the wronged husband!
Back in 1992, Sharon was married to Phil’s brother Grant Mitchell. But, ground down by Grant’s violent outbursts, Sharon ended up in bed with Phil.
After eventually calling time on an on-off affair, Sharon settled down with Grant and Phil got engaged to Kathy Beale. But Sharon made one fatal mistake, accidentally recording a chat with best mate Michelle Fowler including all the gory details…
It’s the evening of Phil and Kathy’s engagement party in the Vic. As the happy couple celebrate their news, a devastated Grant sits in his car, obsessively listening to the incriminating tape.
Slipping in through the Vic door, Grant heads to the stereo and puts on the tape, broadcasting Sharon’s awful confession to the stunned partygoers. As Grant makes a hasty exit, a fuming Kathy slaps a horrified Sharon, calling her a slut.
A worried Michelle clears the Vic of everyone but Sharon, Phil and Kathy. After Grant’s disappearing act, a concerned Nigel Bates sets off to look for his friend but can’t find him anywhere. Phil needs to confront his brother and he discovers him, broken and brooding, in the Arches.
Grant tells Phil to leave before he does something terrible. But unable to deal with the scale of the betrayal, Grant’s anger dissolves as he crumples into tears. Phil thinks violence - not talk - is the only way for the brothers to resolve the matter and he goads Grant into a fight. But will either of them come out the winner?
While EastEnders takes a break, fans will get their Tuesday night Walford fix with classic reruns replacing the regular episodes. EastEnders will return with brand new episodes later in the year.
EastEnders replacement programming continues on BBC1 on Monday at 8 pm
