Former Eastenders actor James Alexandrou has admitted that he collapsed when he received news that Wendy Richards had died yesterday.

James played Wendy’s on screen son Martin Fowler on the BBC soap opera and grew up with her playing a huge role in his formative years.

Talking about Wendy on This Morning earlier today, James admitted that she was like his second mum. “To me she was mummy number two,” he said. “She was lovely, caring and always honest. I was glad to send her a Mother’s Day gift each year. She liked that. I never wanted to believe she was ill, she was tough as old boots and I thought she would be OK… I collapsed yesterday when I heard the news.”

Ex-Eastenders actress Wendy Richard has spoken to the Daily Star about her heartbreak at being told she’s dying of cancer.

The star revealed that she’s written a will and has planned her funeral after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease which has attacked her kidneys and spread to her bones.

The 65-year-old, who’s beaten breast cancer twice, is now going to marry her long-term partner John Burns next Friday, just three days before starting chemotherapy.

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Former Eastenders actress, Wendy Richards is to star in ITV comedy, Benidorm.

Best known as Pailine Fowler, Wendy will reportedly play a “loud-mouthed, rude” wheelchair-bound character.

An insider told The Sun: “She is really looking forward to being a part of this series – she was a huge fan of the first.”