EASTENDERS star Letitia Dean has revealed some of the secrets behind her incredible weight loss with the Sharon Watts actress binning junk food and faddy diets.

The actress has been on our screens since 1985 as a member of one of the BBC1 soap's original families.

But Letitia was just a teenager when the drama first hit our screens.

Since then viewers have followed her character through marriages, divorces, pregnancies and even attempted murder – while fame has brought a lot of unwanted attention off screen.

Last year, Letitia embarked on a health kick in a an effort to get fitter and healthier and the difference is clear to see.

Ahead of her decision to lose weight she revealed she was subjected to cruel trolling over her appearance.

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The star admitted on EastEnders spin-off show Secrets from the Square: "I had quite a lot of horrible things said about me. 'She's too fat, the other actors complain they can't fit on the same set with her'."

Ditching 'faddy' diets

Now in her fifties, the telly favourite has lived most of her life in the public eye and she regularly wows fans with her glamorous looks.

But Letitia has insisted she looks "better" than ever before thanks to shifting the pounds.

And she likes to keep her diet very simple.

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The actress said she previously tried "faddy regimes" including a "disgusting" eggs-only diet.

Though she admitted it did help and she slimmed down, she said she soon quickly yo-yo'd back.

And though her fame and fortune has given her access to the best nutrition advice out there, she said she even signed up to Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 in a bid to dance offthe weight.

She said: "The main reason I signed up was because I wanted to do something about my figure.

"I was so sick of extreme dieting and my weight yo-yoing."

Binning the junk

Discussing her diet in a recent interview, Letitia said she had cut down to 1,300 calories a day and stopped following fad diets.

She eats high-protein food like skinless chicken breasts and fuels up on lots of green vegetables.

After committing to the decision to transform her body she has gone from weighing 10st 4lb to 8st 3lb.

Letitia beamed as she flaunted new figure in a slinky white jumpsuit at the National TV Awards earlier this month.

She appeared brighter and glowed, after admitting the perks of changing her diet were not only physical.

The actress said of switching up her diet: "It was incredible. I found I had so much more energy than when I used to eat junk food."

Running and workouts

For those hoping to lose weight, picking an exercise that you enjoy is fundamental.

Letitia told Closer how running and boxercise are now "two of her favourite things" and had helped her keep the weight off.

"I've been doing a lot of walking, running and going to the gym," she added on Secrets from the Square.

"It's a combination of things, really."

Praise from fans

The iconic EastEnders star is believed to have dropped four dress sizes and, speaking of the transformation, said: "I've been pampered, polished and plucked."

Fans regularly take to social media to compliment her after wacthing her on teh soap.

One recently tweeted: "I don't think Letitia Dean has ever looked better."

Another raved about the telly favourite: "Letitia looks amazing!"

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And a third added: "Letitia Dean looks fab, she’s inspired me to get fit. She looks like a different person."

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