Emmerdale writer Sharon Marshall has signed up to rival soap, EastEnders, just weeks after quitting the ITV soap.
The This Morning soap expert appeared on the ITV show today, where she revealed what was coming up on the soaps - and what fans could expect from the shows in the next few weeks. As she showed clips of Emmerdale, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks, hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield paused the segments to offer their congratulations.
With a smile, Phil stopped talking about the soaps and said: "And you're joining EastEnders," whilst Sharon looked gleeful as she showed off her picture with the famous Albert Square sign.
"I am," she said, "I've been over at EastEnders for a little while now. My first episode is coming up next Wednesday. It's obligatory that you've got to take a photo like that. I'm part of the writing team now, I'm thrilled to say."
She added: "I've got an episode next week, all about Keanu and Ravi and Sharon. Oh my gosh, writing Sharon is just amazing."
Holly then chimed in to say they were lucky to have her, as Sharon shared: "No I'm lucky to be there. That team's on fire. I just heard about what they have planned and I just said, I really want in."
EastEnders bosses are keeping their storylines close to their chest for now - but we do know they are planning a huge Christmas episode, after a special flash-forward scene earlier this year teased a death at Christmas with the six matriarchs of Walford involved.
Executive producer Chris Clenshaw teased: "It’s been in the pipeline since I took over at the beginning of last year. I was looking for a blockbuster story for 2023 and there was clearly an appetite for a ‘whodunnit’, but I was reluctant to play a ‘whodunnit’ in the traditional form, largely due to the spectacularly brilliant ‘Who Killed Lucy’ storyline, that was not just hugely successful but also incredibly gripping throughout. I therefore tasked the writing and story team that if we were to do another ‘whodunnit’ it would have to be different, have to feel different, and have to have a very different mechanic at its core.
"A couple of our writers and story team took that brief on board and came back with the idea of flashing forward and, in doing so, we’re promising a ‘whodunnit’ is coming in the future. We developed the idea and thought it would be even more exciting if we didn’t reveal who the victim is – becoming so much more than a ‘whodunnit’… It’s a ‘who-is-it’ as well."
He added: "We then decided to kick the story off at a time when The Six – Linda, Suki, Kathy, Stacey, Denise and Sharon – are each involved in stories connected to the men in their lives, which fortunately happened to be around the 38th anniversary of EastEnders."
