The British Soap Awards paid tribute to late EastEnders stars Barbara Windsor and June Brown during the ceremony at the Hackney Empire in London on Saturday. Both actresses received rapturous applause from the audience as clips of their performances were shown.
Barbara Windsor, who played Peggy Mitchell, died at age 83 in December 2020 after battling Alzheimer's. June Brown, known for her role as Dot Cotton, died at age 95 in April 2022. The tribute honoured all serial drama stars who had passed away since the last ceremony in 2019.
Viewers took to Twitter to express their gratitude. One wrote: 'The cheers and applause in the room for the late June Brown and Barbara Windsor were deafening.' Another said: 'I smiled when Barbara and June got massive cheers from the crowd during that tribute.'
June Brown's family announced her death in a statement, saying she 'passed away very peacefully at her home in Surrey.' The BBC soap spokeswoman described her as 'loved and adored by everyone at EastEnders,' adding that 'her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten.'
Dame Barbara Windsor, diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014, died in a London care home. The BBC said: 'We are all deeply saddened that we've lost our Dame. From the moment Barbara stepped foot in Walford she created an icon in Peggy Mitchell.'
