Barbara Windsor gave Danny Dyer 'blessing' to take over EastEnders' Queen Vic

Dame Barbara Windsor gave Danny Dyer her "blessing" to take over EastEnders\' Queen Vic when he first joined the soap.

The 42-year-old actor made his debut as pub landlord Mick Carter in late 2013, and Barbara - whose character Peggy Mitchell was previously landlady of the fictional boozer - sent him a special postcard with her well wishes on.

He said: "When I got the part - and I\'d never met her - she sent me a postcard giving me her blessing that I could have [the Queen Vic].

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"And I was like, \'Oh, wow\'."

But he joked his on-screen wife Kellie Bright (Linda Carter) wasn\'t too impressed that she didn\'t receive a message from Barbara, who has been battling Alzheimer\'s disease since 2014.

Danny quipped: "Kellie was like, \'I didn\'t get one of them!\' and got the right hump about it."

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The on-screen couple have returned to the set to shoot spin-off show \'EastEnders: Secrets from the Square\', which sees Stacey Dooley interview a number of Albert Square cast members past and present.

But Kellie admitted it was strange being on the set but having to social distance.

Speaking on last night\'s (22.06.20) first instalment while sitting two metres apart from Danny, she said: "I just want to hug [Danny]! I wanted to give him a squeeze and say, \'Oh my gosh! It\'s so good to see you!\'

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"I think it\'s the first time in seven years, apart from maternity leave, that I haven\'t seen Danny in all that time."