EastEnders legend Anna Karen reportedly left the bulk of her fortune to her former soap co-star.
The actress was best known for playing the iconic Aunt Sal on the BBC soap. As the sharp-tongued sister of Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) Aunt Sal was a hit with viewers and made her debut in in 1996.
The character went on to star in over 50 episodes of the soap. She usually made an appearance at a Mitchell family occasion – and more often than not she had something to say about the people present.
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Her final appearance was in January 2017 when Aunt Sal was seen last seen at the funeral of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell – who were killed off from the soap. Over in Walford last week, the rest of the Mitchell clan are informed of Aunt Sal’s off-screen death.
(Image: BBC)
And this week, the soap will pay tribute to the character with her family attending her funeral. In real-life though, sadly actress Anna died in 2022 aged 85 in a fire at her home on Windsor Road, Ilford.
Not long after, it was claimed that Anna had left a huge chunk of cash to an EastEnders cast member – with the money being the majority of her estate. Probate records reveal that Anna left an estate of £427,197 when she passed away in February.
(Image: BBC)
And reportedly, Sophie Lawrence, who played the role of Diane Butcher in EastEnders from 1988 until 1991, was left a whopping 65% of Anna’s net estate. Anna and Sophie were close pals and even toured together previously when they both starred in the comedy show Bazaar & Rummage.
As well as the money left to Sophie, another pal also reportedly got £1,500. While funeral and legal costs and inheritance tax will be paid from the estate too.
(Image: BBC)
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A further fifth of the residuary of her estate is left to her stepdaughter Gloria Gill, the daughter of her husband Terry Duggan, who passed away in 2008 Another eighth was left to four other friends or relatives and the final 2.5 per cent was left to the Actors’ Benevolent Fund, according to MailOnline.
Anna sadly died in 2022 in a house fire that was reportedly caused by a cigarette. A source told The Sun: “She was apparently in bed at the time of the fire.”
The insider added: “It’s thought she fell asleep with a cigarette.” Meanwhile, Anna’s agent Shane Collins told the same publication: “We don’t know if it was an electrical fault or whether it was because she was smoking.”
It was reported three fire engines and around 20 firefighters from Ilford and Barking fire stations rushed to the scene. The team managed to get the blaze under control in less than an hour.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
