EastEnders star Letitia Dean has hit out at online scammers for using her profile to sell weight loss pills.
The Albert Square stalwart, 55, has been lauded by fans in recent years due to her body transformation, having lost a reported four dress sizes.
But now fraudsters are exploiting the interest surrounding her appearance by falsely claiming she’s the face of a slimming product, even attributing fake quotes from the actress endorsing them.
A source close to Letitia, who plays Sharon Watts, told MailOnline: ‘It is complete nonsense for B+ Weight Management or any other weight loss brand to state that Letitia has given permission for her image to be used.
‘This advertisement and product have absolutely no relevance to Letitia whatsoever and she urges any potential customers to do their research before buying weight loss products, especially ones that claim to be using celebrity endorsements.’
EastEnders star Letitia Dean has hit out at online scammers for using her profile to sell weight loss pills (pictured July 2023)
The Albert Square stalwart has been lauded by fans in recent years due to her body transformation, having shifted several stone in weight – reportedly four dress sizes (pictured May 2021)
But now fraudsters are exploiting the interest surrounding her appearance by falsely claiming she’s the face of a slimming product, attributing fake quotes from the actress endorsing them (pictured September 2023)
The adverts for the B+ Weight Management slimming pills are being pushed on Facebook and when interested parties click on a link, it sends them through to a fake interview with Letitia in which she claims the pills made her ‘lose five stone in two weeks.’
It also states that Letitia needed to lose weight or face surgery, plus wild claims that her BBC bosses were ‘furious’ about her new body shape.
The scammers went as far to make up a fake interview Letitia made with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, despite the fact the soap star rarely speaks in public.
Her EastEnders co-star Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonia Fowler, warned fans during an Instagram live that Letitia’s involvement with the firm wasn’t true, and rejected claims her own weight loss was down to the pills.
Fellow EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Dragon’s Den Deborah Meaden have also been targeted by scammers who claim the pair are endorsing weight loss supplements.
Susanna Reid spoke out in April alongside Martin Lewis about scammers using her image to flog Keto pills as she urged viewers to ignore the fake advertisements.
Speaking live on air, she said: ‘People I imagine that would have been able to see through the scam contacting me saying “I am desperate to lose weight, do your Keto pills work?” I do not endorse, sell, make, manufacture or back any pills for losing weight.’
MailOnline has contacted the BBC and B+ Weight Management for comment.
A Facebook advertisement promoting Letitia’s weight loss by sharing two comparison pictures of the soap star is fake, with sources close to the BBC actress confirming it is ‘nonsense’ post
Letitia, who plays Sharon in the long-running soap, has lost a considerable amount of weight in recent years, with viewers noticing her body transformation
Letitia is currently embroiled in a huge storyline with on-screen lover Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), who staged a fake kidnap of their son Albie (pictured in 2020)
Susanna Reid spoke out in April alongside Martin Lewis about scammers using her image to flog Keto pills as she urged viewers to ignore the fake advertisements (pictured November 2023)
Letitia is currently embroiled in a huge storyline with on-screen lover Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), who staged a fake kidnap of their son Albie.
The actress is one of the original cast members still working on EastEnders, having joined the BBC One soap when she was just 17.
She was introduced as the adopted daughter of Den and Angie Watts and later became the landlady of the Queen Vic pub.
Sharon’s on-off romance with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has been a long-running storyline, and the characters are currently co-running a boxing gym together but are not romantically involved.
Letitia took a break from Walford in 1995 but reprised her role in 2001 until 2006 before making an official comeback in 2012 and has completely transformed her figure.
During her absence she released a fitness DVD in 2008, dubbed Letitia Dean’s Lean Routine, while also teamed up with Natalie’s personal trainer in a bid to get healthier.
Giving a rare interview on EastEnders spin off show Secrets from the Square in 2020, Letitia spoke out on the cruel comments she had received over the years about her looks.
She said: ‘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.’
In 2009, she admitted experimenting with ‘fad diets’, telling the Daily Record: ‘I’d go on fad diets like Atkins or I’d only eat eggs. The effect was great, even if my breath did smell foul.
‘I’d lose a stone in a couple of weeks, but gradually I’d slip back into my old ways and put it all on again.’
