Peggy Mitchell took her last breath on EastEnders tonight in what marked the end of an era for one of soap's most iconic characters.
78-year-old Barbara Windsor joined the cast of EastEnders back in 1994, leaving the role of the feisty Peggy Mitchell in 2005, although she returned to it in 2005 until 2009 and has been back a few times since in guest appearances.
It was Windsor who approached EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins to tell him she would like to be killed off as she "wanted to go out in a blaze of glory". Her exit even managed to be the one story line that got Ross Kemp aka Grant Mitchell to return to the soap after a decade.
Tonight then, was the episode we saw one of TV's greatest matriarch's leave this mortal coil exactly the way she wanted to, in what was an emotional yet fitting exit for the character. Even Pat Butcher and her dodgy earrings showed up, resurrected from the grave to be near her friend in her final moments.
The soap chose not to go down the familiar music of 'Julia's theme' for the credits either, used when most characters are leaving or dying, but instead played out the credits in silence, afterwards simply going to a clock in her room stopping.
And that was it, goodbye Peggy Mitchell.
Here's how the rest of you reacted...
Mom just walked into the TV room. 'Oh I didn't know #Peggy was back, doesn't she look great?!'. I hadn't the heart to tell her. #EastEnders
— Nuala Carey (@nualacarey25) May 17, 2016
Got to love Peggy and Pat... The original huns #Eastenders
— Jeffrey Porritt (@JeffPorritt) May 17, 2016
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I'm so glad Pat is there for her. Pat and Peggy were meant to be together. Forever drunk in an ice cream van. #EastEnders #PeggyMitchell
— Vittoria Gallagher (@Vitt2tsnoc) May 17, 2016
True friends never leave you.
Goodbye Peggy Mitchell, old friend. #EastEnders #EELastOrdershttps://t.co/Bn581XV6Bg
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) May 17, 2016
What a beautiful ending to Peggy's farewell episode for #EastEnders after 22 extraordinary years on Albert Square. pic.twitter.com/96fOkY32jM
— British_SAFPage (@British_SAFPage) May 17, 2016
Phil's going to be extra pissed when he realises the clock needs a new battery on top of everything else. #EastEnders
— Ed Whitfield (@edwhitfield) May 17, 2016
What an #EastEnders 😢😢
— Sybil Mulcahy (@sybilmulcahy) May 17, 2016
Got a feeling #GetOuttaMyPub will be trending in no time #eastenders #GoodbyePeggy #PeggyMitchell #tvlegend #iconic #sad #welldoneeastenders
— Aimee_Lewarne89 (@Aimee_Lewarne) May 17, 2016
#Peggy and #Pat finally together in the big boozy ice cream van in the sky. #EELastOrders #EastEnders. 😪 pic.twitter.com/JOVzH7MPjt
— Alex Lamb (@alexlamb81) May 17, 2016
Sad scenes but it was great to work with Dame Barbara and Steve again #EELastOrders #EastEnders
— Ross Kemp (@RossKemp) May 17, 2016
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Even Corrie was sad...
When you've just caught up on @bbceastenders and realised there's no more Peggy 😢 #EELastOrders pic.twitter.com/B38zSohT7B
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) May 17, 2016
