Dean Gaffney\'s grandmother has died.
The \'EastEnders\' actor is mourning the loss of his maternal grandparent Nancy and promised his late relative he will "look after" her daughter, his mother.
He shared a photo of his grandma on Instagram and wrote: "Normally I wouldn\'t divulge information like this on social media, however we celebrate births and marriages but never talk about death.
RIP nanny Nancy.. I promise you I will look after mum, love you with all my heart, RIP [heart emojis] (sic)"
Dean was flooded with messages of condolences from fans and fellow soap stars.
Richard Blackwood wrote: "Sorry to hear that bro! Send Love to your mum for me [heart emoji]"
Emma Barton commented: "Thinking of you."
Former \'Coronation Street\' and \'Hollyoaks\' actor Chris Fountain posted: "Sorry for your loss bro [heart emoji] (sic)"
\'Emmerdale\' actor Anthony Quinlan wrote: "Thinking of you and family mate x."
Dean has had a rough few weeks as he was recently dropped from \'EastEnders\', shortly after splitting from his long-term girlfriend.
But since leaving the show, the 41-year-old actor has spent time at a wellness centre in Spain, where he\'s vowed to take "a step in the right direction".
Speaking from the centre, Dean explained: "I\'m not that guy who goes to the gym all the time so I had to find another way of giving myself a goal, and this retreat was what I like to call \'a step in the right direction\'.
"My health is important. I need to always be aware of that, not just physically but mentally."
Meanwhile, a source close to the actor has insisted he\'s working hard in order to correct his past mistakes.
The insider shared: "Dean knows he\'s made some bad decisions and he is working hard to get his life back on track.
"He split up from his long-term girlfriend and then he lost his job. But he knows he only has himself to blame.
"He\'s always been a popular member of the cast and everyone loves Robbie Jackson so it\'s a real shame that he will no longer be on our screens."
