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