Sharp again worked with Mike Leigh in "Vera Drake" (2004) which was followed by one-off television dramas including "Planespotting", "Born with Two Mothers" and "Our Hidden Lives", all in 2005. The same year, she played the clairvoyant lead role of Alison Mundy opposite Andrew Lincoln's sceptical Robert Bridge in ITV's supernatural drama series "Afterlife". Although the subject matter was seen as quite controversial, it was generally received positively by critics and audiences. Sharp's performance was highly praised and she was nominated for several awards. She commented, in a "This Morning" television interview, that the guest stars – including Natalia Tena, David Threlfall and Mark Benton — for the second series "were amazing".