Danniella Westbrook has revealed she’ll pay a ‘huge’ tribute to her late friend Barbara Windsor while starring in the adults-only West End pantomime, Sinderfella.
Returning to acting for the first time since her EastEnders comeback in 2016, the 48-year-old is set to play the Fairy Godmother – a role her former co-star was famed for before her death in December 2020 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Danniella lauded the ‘cheeky’ Peggy Mitchell actress and discussed how she will be taking inspiration from the ‘little sex symbol’ for her latest risqué project in December.
EXCLUSIVE: Danniella Westbrook has revealed she’ll pay a ‘huge’ tribute to her late friend Barbara Windsor while starring in the adults-only West End pantomime, Sinderfella
She began: ‘The last time I did any acting was six years ago but I did say earlier this year, just three months ago on This Morning, that my return would be in the theatre and preferrably the West End. And as if by magic, my agent has landed me the job!
‘I’ve played the fairy godmother before but not since Barbara’s passed so I shall be doing a huge nod to her on the night.
‘We’ll have plenty of little innuendos and things like that. To me, personally, it would just be a nice thing to do that.
‘I’m playing the fairy godmother and Barbara always used to so, to me, it’s a big accolade for me to be to be put in that position.’
Tragic: Peggy Mitchell icon Barbara died in December 2020 aged 83 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease (pictured, right, with Danniella, left, in 2002)
The Walthamstow-native worked alongside the Carry On icon during the 90s and 2000s on EastEnders, beginning when Danniella was just 21.
She gushed: ‘I learned so much from Bar. Mostly about acting but, just in general, how to treat people, members of the public and people that support us in our job and our journey. She taught me how to be humble and stay true to myself.
‘Barbara was always cheeky and a little sex symbol, you know, a tiny little bundle of fun. She was our little pocket rocket and we loved her to bits.
‘She’s greatly missed, both in the world of theatre and television. Everybody misses Barbara Windsor and she’ll always be a huge, huge part of my life.’
In her element: The 48-year-old is set to play the Fairy Godmother – a role her former co-star was famed for (Barbara pictured in 2010)
Danniella has been leaving little to the imagination in her recent social media snaps, and has teased her character in the 18+ panto – written by Big Brother’s Simon Gross – may be just as raunchy.
She said: ‘I don’t know what sort of outfit Simon’s got planned this year but I’m sure some of them will be a little bit risqué.
‘I’ve got other bits and pieces that are coming up, which is really what those Instagram posts were for but that’s a whole different story.’
The ex I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! campmate is currently set to star in Sinderfella for one-night-only on December 12 but has revealed she’s in talks to sign up for further dates due to high demand.
Racy: Danniella has been leaving little to the imagination in her recent social media snaps, and has teased her character in the 18+ panto may be just as raunchy
She said: ‘At the moment, the only date I’ve got on there is the 12th but we’ve got a few other dates that we’re in talks about and we haven’t released them yet.
‘Literally, the twelfth is nearly sold out. We only released it two days ago. We haven’t released our other dates as yet, but we will be, I think, in the next two weeks.’
Based on the fairytale classic Cinderella, the upcoming drag production is ‘not for the faint hearted or persons of a prudish nature’, as described in its advert.
Sinderfella will run between December 9th and 22nd at The Prince of Wales, Dury Lane in London.
Exciting: She is set to star in Sinderfella for one-night-only on December 12 but has revealed she’s in talks to sign up for further dates. Writer Simon [right] stars as Ugly Sister Jordan
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk