Anna Wing – whose turn as Lou Beale in Eastenders lasted for 232 episodes – has sadly passed away aged 98. She died on Sunday, The BBC report. Possibly the last of her kind, with lucrative moves to different projects always on the cards, Wing’s career in the media spanned 6 decades.

In 2009 she received an MBE for her services to television, film, radio and theatre. At the time, Wing said: “I wanted to be an actress when I was a little girl and everybody said no, but I did it. I stuck it out and I've done it for 70 years and I'm still working.” Adam Woodyatt – who plays Ian Beale in Eastenders - described Wing as “a wonderful lady”. He also added that she helped him when he had to cry on screen for the first time.

“I was terrified I wouldn't be able to do it. Anna was so helpful, happy to rehearse it over and over again and put me completely at ease. Sure enough the tears flowed from nowhere. I have so many fond memories of her, my thoughts are with her family and friends.“

Anna WingAnna Wing was and will remain a soap legend

June Brown – who you’ll know as perennial Abert Sq resident Dot Cotton - said it was a ”pleasure“ to work with Wing. ”She was a very generous woman in many ways and an excellent actress who made a script her own, lifting the character off the page and made it quite different from what you'd have expected.

“I always enjoyed her company and she often asked me to stay with her, saying that I could smoke on the landing! Anna always thought well of everyone and she loved and enjoyed her children and grandchildren. I was very fond of her indeed and will remember Anna with great affection always.” She wasn’t only known for her work on Eastenders - during the 1960s and 70s, she starred in a number of TV mini-series and films, including Doctors and The Woman in White.