Actress Barbara Windsor has been opening up about her departure from EastEnders after 15 years in the soap.

Speaking at the Laurence Olivier Awards, the 72-year-old said: "I know I am going to be very emotional because I have got great friends."

The actress, who joined EastEnders as Peggy Mitchell in 1994, picked up a lifetime achievement honour at the British Soap Awards in 2009.

Peggy's storylines over the years have included battling breast cancer, running for councillor and two marriages. Her last husband, Archie, was murdered in a huge whodunnit plot.

It is not yet known how her character will be written out of the soap.