South African actress Anna Karen - famous for playing Olive Rudge in On The Buses - has tragically died at the age of 85.
The EastEnders stars was killed in a horror blaze as firefighters were called to a scene in Ilford shortly after 10.30pm last night.
The crew got the fire on the ground floor of a terraced house under control in less than an hour but the actress had died by then.
Anna was best known for her role as Olive in 70s comedy On The Buses - and previously revealed how she went from a size 12 to 16 in order to play the character.
She revealed she was instructed to put on the weight to play the role.
Confirming the tragic news of her death, Anna's family friend told Mail Online: "We are absolutely horrified at the news about Anna."
Elsewhere, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson confirmed: "Sadly, a woman has died following a house fire on Windsor Road in Ilford.
"Part of the ground floor of a mid-terrace house was damaged by fire.
"Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The Brigade was called at 2240 and the fire was under control by 2338. Three fire engines and around 20 firefighters from Ilford and Barking fire stations attended the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation."
The actress was born in Durban, South Africa as Ann McCall to her Irish father and an English mother.
During her youth, Anna appeared in productions in South Africa before moving to London aged 17.
Having had a passion for acting and performing from a very young age, she enrolled in The London School of Dramatic Art once she arrived in the UK.
As well as a long career in film and television, she was also a theatre star.
Anna appeared in numerous pantomimes across the country.
The actress last appeared on BBC One soap EastEnders in January 2017.
Anna's character, Aunt Sal, fast became a favourite among fans thanks to her no-nonsense nature and witty one-liners.
Before she made her first appearance on Albert Square in 1996, Anna reprised the role of Olive in The Rag Trade in the late 1970s and had roles in two Carry On films, those being Carry On Camping and Carry On Loving.
In 2006, Anna used her experience as a striptease dancer to act as a judge in the final edition of Channel 4's reality television documentary Faking It.
In 2008, she was also a guest on the Channel 4's Sunday Night Project, alongside EastEnders co-star, Barbara Windsor.
