'EastEnders' Peggy Mitchell will kill herself following a tough cancer battle.

Barbara Windsor

Barbara Windsor

The former Queen Vic landlady has returned to the show after being diagnosed with terminal cancer but takes an overdose in order to "die on her own terms".

The Sun on Sunday reports: "The cancer is ripping her to pieces.

"She's Peggy Mitchell, she'd never just sit and wait to die. It feels right she should wrestle back control and die on her own terms.

"At the end, the drugs make her hallucinate. Her final scene is incredibly emotional."

The BBC sought advice before filming with a source explaining: "We wanted to treat the issue of exercising the right to die carefully."

Barbara Windsor, 78, has depicted the cockney pub landlady on and off for 22 years and previously said she wanted to play the matriarch with dignity in the emotional storyline.

Speaking about her final scenes, she said: "They were hard but, sorry I'm going to get upset, I did my crying afterwards, I had to. I had to give this performance and she's quite tough and I hope people accept the way I played her with cancer because I have to tell all the viewers that everybody's different."

The actress loved working with Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp - who play her on-screen sons Phil and Grant Mitchell respectively - but having her boys back together made her question why she was closing the door on Peggy on the first place.

She said: "I tell you what was great - when they stood either side of me that was it, I felt, 'We're back! What am I doing killing myself off? Am I mad?' I felt good and I have to say Ross enjoyed it because it took a lot to get him back and it was a little phone call from me in the end that did it."

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