Lacey Turner can still feel Dame Barbara Windsor's presence on the set of 'EastEnders'.
Lacey Turner is running the London Marathon in honour of Dame Barbara Windsor
The 34-year-old actress worked with the late actress - who died in December 2020 after seven years battling Alzheimer's - for several years and she admitted the screen legend still seems "very much still alive" thanks to the soap.
She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “When you are in the Vic you can hear her behind the bar — her little feet. She is very much still alive on EastEnders on our screen.”
Lacey is training for the London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK in honour of Barbara alongside co-stars Jake Wood and Tanya Franks and the 'Carry On' legend's widower Scott Mitchell, and she's amazed with her progress so far.
She said: “I have never run in my life. The most I have done is run a bath, so this is a bit of a shock for my body. But I’ve really surprised myself because if somebody had told me to run a mile I’d have laughed in their face. I am up to 13.1 miles and I can’t quite believe it but it is so amazing.
Meanwhile, Lacey's soap alter ego Stacey Slater's 12-year-old daughter Lily (Lillia Turner) has recently revealed she is pregnant and the actress admitted she would support her own daughter Dusty if she ever found herself in a similar situation.
The actress - who has Dusty, three, and son Trilby, two, with husband Matt Kay - said: “I hope that if Dusty did come home I would be able to explain to her how difficult at times it can be as a parent and give her all the tools and the knowledge she would possibly need. Hopefully she would make the right decision for her, whatever that would be.
“Having a no-secrets relationship with your child is really important. We are just telling people that you can speak to someone, whether it is your parent, grandparent, a cousin, anyone you can speak to about it, so it highlights being open and honest. I can’t imagine that is an easy thing to say.”
But Lacey was shocked when she was first told about the storyline, though she's pleased they are tackling the subject.
She said: “I think initially my reaction was the same as most people’s — ‘Wow, that is young’ — but having done research, it happens.
"A lovely lady sent us a message to say she was in hospital and the girl opposite her was 12 and had just given birth. She wanted to thank us for highlighting the story and portraying what happens in real life...
“We tell stories that there is stigma attached to, including mental health and HIV, and over the years we’ve given those storylines a voice which allows the nation to talk about it.
“I know with Stacey and my screen mum Jean Slater’s bipolar that it has really helped and educated a lot of people. It is nice when you get a storyline you know people can relate to and there will be someone out there that might need to watch it to give them the confidence to go ahead and delve into it themselves.”
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