Jaime Winstone has a collection of 75 Barbie dolls.

Jaime Winstone has a collection of 75 Barbie dolls

Jaime Winstone has a collection of 75 Barbie dolls

The 37-year-old actress - who is the daughter of esteemed actor Ray Winstone and his wife Elaine - was asked what she likes to collect and admitted she is a big fan of the iconic Mattel doll and can't resist picking another one up for her "gang" whenever she is in a charity shop.

She said: "[I collect] Barbies… I love my Barbies and I love dolls. If I go into a charity shop and there’s a Barbie there in a look, I’m like, ugh, she’d look so good in my gang. I have about 75."

Meanwhile, the 'Four Lives' actress has recently taken on the role of legendary 'EastEnders' matriarch Peggy Mitchell - famously played by the late Dame Barbara Windsor for over two decades - in a special flashback episode of the BBC One soap and explained she is "so grateful" to have met Barbara while preparing to take on the title role in BBC biopic 'Babs' back in 2017.

Jaime told Evening Standard newspaper: "I’ve just finished playing Peggy Mitchell for an 'EastEnders' one-off Seventies period drama special, which is super exciting. There’s so much interest in why Peggy was like Peggy and we get that from this episode. I’m very grateful to have spent time with Barbara Windsor in real life. One day she said, ‘Oh you know, you’re more me than me. Don’t worry babe. Do it. This is also your job.’ I miss her, God bless and ultimate respect."

Jaime previously admitted that while she had been able to take on many comedy roles made famous by the 'Carry On' actress - who died in December 2020 at the age of 83 following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease - she had to "strip away" many elements in order to portray the "tough" but "vulnerable" Peggy.

She said: "I’ve played so many parts in Barbara’s life but not Peggy Mitchell and it had been niggling at me. I had to strip all the 'Carry On' stuff away – like the wiggle, the giggle – and implement all the stuff Peggy grew from. It took a long time. Peggy is different, she’s tough, she’s vulnerable but nobody’s seen her at this point in her life.

"Just seeing [Peggy's sons] Phil and Grant as young men, then Peggy, then Eric, who we’ve heard so much about. I love the parallels with Thatcher on TV and what’s going on now. It pulled my heartstrings."

The flashback episode of 'EastEnders' aired on BBC One on September 5 and is available on BBC iPlayer.

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