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Dermot O'Leary has joined those paying tribute to Dame Barbara Windsor, sharing her unexpected kindness at the very start of his career.
Sharing his reflections on interviewing the acting legend, who has died at age 83, Dermot, 47, revealed he was fresh to television when they first met.
He wrote on Instagram : "Barbara Windsor was one of my first live guests on T4. I’d only just started doing live TV, early in my apprenticeship, and was so so nervous (I used to regularly throw up before every show.)
"She came in like a tiny hurricane, made everyone feel at ease, flashed us that smile, and even said how nice it was to be interviewed by 'you two lovely boys' (when she really had no need to.) Sheppy [Ben Shephard] and I were on cloud nine.
"A little act of kindness, which went a mile for me, that I’ve never forgotten. From that day on, whenever I saw her it was like seeing a long lost relative. A class act.
"Rest in peace Barbara."
Barbara's husband Scott Mitchell announced her death on Thursday night, saying the cherished actress' final weeks were "typical of how she lived her life" and "full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end".
The EastEnders and Carry On legend was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, but kept her condition secret until symptoms started to show in 2018.
Sadly, her condition had worsened in recent months and she died at 8.35pm on Thursday at a London care home.