#michellefowler

Tuesday 30th June 2020

Good evening everyone! Sorry for the late post, I haven't found time to write about #Sharongate this week as I've been constantly working! But tonight I've actually managed to sit down and watch the iconic episode! I've been really looking forward to seeing this one, seeing Letitia Dean, Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp all together and looking so young in such an historic EastEnders moment! This is one of those episodes that people still talk about today, how memorable it was, and with good reason! It was the start of the most iconic and memorable relationships in EastEnders history, with Sharon and Phil!

This episode originally aired on 25th October 1994! Oh wow! I had no idea the soap was going to start right at the very beginning where Grant was listening to the cassette tape in his car! It's like right there, straight away!!! Poor Grant in tears listening to his fiance, i'm assuming, listening to her confess to sleeping with his brother, while everyone in the Vic is completely oblivious! 

I can't get over how young people look, Carol, Kathy, Pauline, Ricky and Bianca ... everyone! They all look so young! It's terrible to know just what is about to unfold - Grant walking into the Vic and ...  YES, playing the cassette tape for everyone to hear!  Oooooh did Grant and Sharon ever marry? In the tape there it said "Sleeping with his brother's wife!" I had no clue Sharon and Grant actually married ... so does that mean that Sharon had actually been married to both Mitchell brothers then? I never knew that! It's amazing this is coming to light to me just now! I must've been too young to watch EastEnders when this was going on with it being broadcast in the early 90's, but I am so happy to have seen this properly! It's always been one of the main story-lines I've heard about and yet never got to watch, I'm glad I've been able to view this iconic episode! Oh look how broken Grant looks as he's looking with tears falling down his cheeks, both Sharon and Phil know they've been caught out and nothing can be taken back now! They can't even deny it! Oh gosh, that's right! Phil married Kathy didn't he, makes sense now! I love that slap that Kathy laid on Sharon ... from what I remember, Letitia Dean actually mentioned in the recent documentary, EastEnders: Secrets Of The Square, that that slap was actually real, and you can easily tell if you rewind it and double check, it was a good wallop! I think the way Sharon reacts, it is actually a genuine hiss through the teeth from Letitia, which I think is just brilliant! 

I love how everyone is gossiping outside the Vic after hearing the reveal of the big secret, I didn't realise it was actually meant to be Kathy and Phil's engagement party, what a way for a secret to be revealed in such an iconic, typical EastEnders fashion! ! I loved Sharon and Kathy during the discussion, Phil also trying to convince Kathy that nothing had happened. Everyone is in unison saying exactly the same thing, "How could he do that to his brother?" "They're a right pair those two!" .... Actually, I've just noticed something, it's meant to be the night of Phil and Kathy's engagement party right, but where the hell is Ian? I mean it's true both Phil and Ian have never seen eye-to-eye, but you would've thought Ian would be there to congratulate his Mum. Also, I would've loved to have seen Ian's reaction after he learns that Phil cheated on his Mum, I feel like that is possibly another iconic moment, where Phil and Ian are concerned ... it's kinda also a momentous moment in their history also. It is a huge mystery to where Grant has disappeared to, he was there right at the very beginning, then when as soon as it's about to kick off, he walks out and disappears! Phil on his own looking around the Square for him, where the heck could he be? Oooooh gosh, Phil walking around and hearing a massive crash come from somewhere! Is there going to massive fight between Phil and Grant? Is there going to be an epic fist fight between the brothers? Oooooo his car has been smashed in, he makes his way into the Arches and very sharply Grant follows! Needless to say a stunning performance from Ross Kemp, those tears rolling down his cheeks and asking Phil whether Sharon was worth it, I think this is brilliant performance from both Ross and Steve McFadden, I so wished I could've watched this when it first aired along with everyone else! 

Oh wow! Even Grant wasn't even prepared to lash out at Phil until he goaded him to, shoving him and forcing him to breaking point. Phil wanted that, he wanted the anger and the fury to come out so they could get it over with. I am impressed as to how Grant was throwing Phil about the Arches, very well done choreography. Although, Nigel has now gone looking for them both, is he going to get caught up in the fight and become the victim of a nasty outcome? Or will he be able to tear the Mitchell brothers apart before one kills the other? Oooooo, I loved that silent ending! Nigel walking in and seeing Grant sat on the floor looking down, only to then see Phil lying bleeding and unconscious. What a cliffhanger that would've been back in the day, I'm guessing everyone had taken a huge gasp and be thinking would Phil be alive or dead?!  

I can completely understand why this episode is such an iconic episode and why it goes down in EastEnders history, it's truly one of those ones that keep you on your toes, constantly thinking what's going to happen to Grant? What's going to happen to Phil? What's going to happen to Sharon? Everyone involved in this story-line, it's affected pretty much everyone, which is why it was so big! Even the likes of Michelle were dragged into it. I am so happy I've been able to see this episode from the very beginning, I now understand where the term Sharongate comes from! A fantastic episode!

I believe, the next iconic episode to be shown is the wedding of Syed and Amira, which I am SO excited for. I shipped Chryed for such a long time, and I still do! I pray every day that eventually Christian and Syed will come back together, I'm guessing not now that Masood has left, but I can always live in hope. It's nice that we have Ballum now, but Chryed was the first for me, the first and BEST gay pairing EastEnders have had ... I think it was mainly down to Syed's religion and also the fact he was meant to be getting married to Amira that the storyline went on for so long as I did, but I loved every second of it, even the aftermath of Syed coming out was just brilliant, I feel that episode - along with this wedding episode - was fantastic! Everyone involved put on a phenomenal performance! I can hardly wait to write about one of my favourite EastEnders episodes!