Ross Kemp has opened up about the touching last conversation he had with his former on-screen mum, Dame Barbara Windsor.
The former EastEnders actor, who played the role of Barbara's son Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, appeared on Monday's Good Morning Britain to pay tribute to the star, who sadly passed away on Thursday night aged 83.
MORE: Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla pay rare tribute after sad death of Barbara Windsor
Speaking to ITV hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Ross began: "I spoke to her three weeks ago on FaceTime, and by that time Barbara was in a very bad state.
WATCH: Ross Kemps pays tribute to late Dame Barbara Windsor
"I asked Scott, her husband, if she had a window, that's the nature of the illness, it comes and goes as you get closer to the end you lose more and more consciousness. And she had a window [of consciousness] and he rang me on a Sunday afternoon and she turned round to me and said 'I just want everything to be good for you in your life', and that is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."
The actor-turned-presenter continued: "She was a genuinely good person and she was very, very lucky to have someone like Scott who stayed by her side and was a rock for her."
MORE: Kevin Clifton publicly shows his support for ex-wife Karen Hauer
MORE: GMB's Ranvir Singh breaks silence following SHOCK Strictly exit
MORE: BBC Three's Accused: A Mother On Trial needs to be your next true-crime watch
Dame Barbara sadly died on Thursday 10 December
Ross was also keen to raise awareness of the condition that took his late friend's life. "I know we're heading for a dreadful economic time, we've got Brexit, we've got Covid, but you've got to bear in mind, someone develops dementia every three minutes in the UK, and it's still considered a social care issue, it's not. It's a medical issue. It affects people mentally and then eventually slowly takes over their entire bodies."
The actress was known and loved for her iconic roles
Dame Barbara's sad passing was announced last week by her husband, Scott Mitchell. In a statement, Scott said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that my darling wife Barbara passed away at 8.35pm on Thursday 10 December at a London care home. Her passing was from Alzheimer's/Dementia and Barbara eventually died peacefully and I spent the last seven days by her side."
The actress, who was diagnosed with the illness in 2014 and moved to a care home earlier this year, was perhaps best-known for her roles in the iconic Carry On comedy films, as well as the role of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap in more recent years.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.