Former 'EastEnders' star Natalie Cassidy has paid tribute to her late co-star Wendy Richard, saying that she was "like a mum" to her.
Cassidy told the News of the World that she became particularly close to Richard following the death of her own mother.
The soap actress said of Richard's passing: "I'm heartbroken. It's so sad to lose someone who's so important to me again because of that horrible, horrible word – cancer."
"I lost my mum to bowel cancer when I was only 19 and after that Wendy and I became so close."
"She cared about me like a mum. I called Wendy my mummy - that's how she would sign off her text messages to me."
"But she was also a best friend and someone I could talk to about anything," she said.
Richard played Cassidy's mother-in-law in the soap.
