Louisa Lytton was told by Dame Barbara Windsor she was like a younger version of the late star.
Louisa Lytton
The 'EastEnders' actress has been told she is "quite similar" to the Peggy Mitchell star - who died on December 10 aged 83 following a six-year battle with Alzheimer's - and even the 'Carry On' legend likened herself to a younger Louisa during her early years in Albert Square.
Louisa - who first played Ruby Allen from 2005 to 2006, before returning to Walford in 2018 - said: "I remember when I was working on the show when I was a child, she said to me once, 'You're like a young me.'
"How nice is that? A lot of people say that I'm quite similar to her when she was younger. She was just the most, kind, loving, thoughtful person on the team there ever was."
The 31-year-old star admitted it was an "absolute privilege" to appear opposite Barbara on screen.
She added to OK! magazine: "She is the heart of 'EastEnders'. She was such an amazing personality and she really lifted everyone up.
"It's an absolute privilege to say I knew her and worked with her."
When asked if Barbara was someone she really looked up to, she replied: "Yes, I think she was for anyone who stepped into that building.
"When you think of 'EastEnders' you think of Barbara Windsor. She was an icon."
Following Barbara's passing, Louisa wrote on Instagram: "Dame Barbara Windsor, icon, heart of the nation (sic)"
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