Danniella Westbrook will pay tribute to the late Barbara Windsor in 18+ panto

Virgin Radio

24 Oct 2022, 07:17

The two were friends and co-stars on 'EastEnders'.

Danniella Westbrook has revealed she'll pay a "huge" tribute to her late friend Barbara Windsor while starring in the adults-only West End pantomime, Sinderfella.

Returning to acting for the first time since leaving EastEnders in 2016, the 48-year-old - who played Sam Mitchell between 1990 and 2000, then again between 2009 and 2016, in the BBC soap, that character's mother being Windsor's Peggy Mitchell - is set to play the Fairy Godmother.

This was a role her former screen mum was famed for before her death in December 2020 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Speaking to MailOnline, Danniella, 48, explained how she will be taking inspiration from the "little sex symbol" for her latest risqué project in December.

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant said, "The last time I did any acting was six years ago but I did say earlier this year, just three months ago on This Morning, that my return would be in the theatre and preferrably the West End. And as if by magic, my agent has landed me the job!

"I’ve played the fairy godmother before but not since Barbara's passed so I shall be doing a huge nod to her on the night.

"We’ll have plenty of little innuendos and things like that. To me, personally, it would just be a nice thing to do that.

She continued, "I'm playing the fairy godmother and Barbara always used to so, to me, it's a big accolade for me to be to be put in that position."

Danniella went on to pay tribute to the great influence that Dame Barbara had on her life and career.

"I learned so much from Bar," she gushed. "Mostly about acting but, just in general, how to treat people, members of the public and people that support us in our job and our journey. She taught me how to be humble and stay true to myself.

"Barbara was always cheeky and a little sex symbol, you know, a tiny little bundle of fun. She was our little pocket rocket and we loved her to bits.

She continued, "She’s greatly missed, both in the world of theatre and television. Everybody misses Barbara Windsor and she'll always be a huge, huge part of my life."

Danniella will appear in Sinderfella on December 12th at The Prince of Wales, Dury Lane in London.