A special episode of Worzel Gummidge aired on BBC One on Christmas Eve and fan of iconic children’s show were filled with nostalgia.
The instalment saw abandoned ship figurehead Saucy Nancy once again needing help from friendly scarecrow Worzel (Mackenzie Crook) and his human pals Susan (India Brown) and John (Thierry Wickens) in getting back to sea.
EastEnders icon Dame Barbara Windsor, who sadly passed away earlier this month, played Saucy Nancy in the original TV adaption starring Jon Pertwee based on stories by Barbara Euphan Todd.
Viewers rushed to their keyboards to pay tribute to television legend Barbara as the show returned to their screens.
Taking to Twitter, one fan penned: “Let’s not forget the original Saucy Nancy” alongside a photo of Barbara as the character.
Dame Barbara Windsor originally played Saucy Nancy in Worzel Gummidge (Image: Getty Images)
Another added: “Remembering the Saucy Nancy from the 1980s. Worzel Gummidge was played by the wonderful Barbara Windsor.”
A third person posted: “Wasnt Barbara Windsor the original Saucy Nancy? Or did I dream it?”
“Watching Worzel Gummidge , Saucy Nancy. Reminding me of when the legend Dame Barbara Windsor was Jon Pertwee’s Saucy Nancy,” a fourth social media user added.
Shirley Henderson played Saucy Nancy in the new episode alongside the main cast of Mackenzie Crook, India down and Thierry Wickens.
Shirley Henderson played Saucy Nancy in the new episode
“It’s so sad that she died just weeks before our new one went out.”
Carry on actress Barbara died on December 10 aged 83, six years after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Talking to The Sun whether the latest episode of Worzel Gummidge served as a tribute to Barbara, Crook replied: “”Absolutely, yes. She played the original version and a lot of people will remember that fondly.
The special programme was the third instalment of the new iteration of the series, with the two previous episodes named The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook and The Green Man premiering last year on Boxing Day and December 27.
Worzel Gummidge was made popular in between 1979 and 1981 when Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee took on the lead role.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
