Coronation Street star Amanda Barrie has celebrated her 60-year friendship with Dame Barbara Windsor that started with them ‘partying until 4am’ as cabaret workers.
Following the tragic news that Dame Barbara has died at the age of 83, Amanda spoke out about her fond memories of the star, remembering the EastEnders legend as a ‘significant part of her youth’ as they tried to become stars.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Amanda said: ‘We met when we worked at Winston’s nightclub in Bond Street in 1957 and worked together.
‘She was just so talented. It was amazing to actually see that little tiny creature come on – a fearless creature with all this talent. I can’t quite describe what she was like then, because she was like a constant. She was like a toy.
‘She was this little person that just went “zoom!” out there on stage, and that talent stayed with her.’
Working alongside Danny La Rou, the pair would go on stage at midnight – unless Dame Barbara was late, as Amanda joked she often was.
They were also far from glamorous backstage, and Amanda said: ‘We dressed in a little tiny room, all of us – the strippers, everybody, and I used to stay with Barbara.
‘Actually it was a meat safe, it wasn’t a dressing room! Over our heads they dripped blood and Barbara was like “Mind my make up!”’
‘When I look back to that, the two of us coming out of the club at four o’clock in the morning or something, both in miniskirts three inch heels and three inch eyelashes missing.
‘Mincing down Old Compton Street together with all the prostitutes going “hello love, are you alright?!”, I would rather remember Barbara that way,’ Amanda concluded.
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