Jaime Winstone says Dame Barbara Windsor sent her a signal from beyond the grave to take on the role of a young Peggy Mitchell.
The actress, who became friends with the star after she played her in the 2017 BBC biopic Babs, revealed she was apprehensive about playing her again in a flashback episode of EastEnders.
Jaime, 37, said: "When I was offered the part, I had such a deep connection with her, I thought, 'Is this something I should do, or do I risk getting typecast? Or would she want someone else to do it?'."
She told the Radio Times: "So I had a little word with Barbara [who died in 2020] and asked her for a sign. A little blonde butterfly kept coming into my garden.
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"We don't get too many because my dog goes for them. But you know when you know."
The flashback episode will air on September 5 and features the struggling Mitchells during 1979, with Britain in economic turmoil.
Jaime portrays Peggy as her marriage to Eric, played by George Russo, crumbles. Barbara once complimented Jaime on playing her, saying: "You're more me than me."
Jaime added to the mag that she now laughs with Babs' famous cackle, saying: "That's still very much there when I've had a glass of wine."
Th actress previously said: "I've played so many parts in Barbara's life but not Peggy Mitchell.
I had to strip all the Carry On stuff away, the wiggle and giggle.
"Peggy is different, she’s tough, she's vulnerable but nobody's seen her at this point in her life."
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