When actress Anna Karen, who was best known for the role of Olive on the much-loved ITV show On The Buses, died in a tragic house fire in Essex at the age of 85 in 2022, she left behind a £400,000 estate. Although she had no children of her own, she did have a stepdaughter, Gloria Duggan Gill, from her over four-decade marriage to actor Terry Duggan. She raised Gloria, whose mother was Terry's first wife, Pat Lyons. Yet despite this, she chose to leave the bulk of her estate, 65% in total, to an EastEnders co-star.

Anna had played the character of Aunt Sal, who was the sister of Barbara Windsor's Peggy Mitchell, in the BBC soap opera from 1996 until 2017. Meanwhile, Sophie Lawerence played Diane Butcher in the show from 1988 until 1991, returning for guest appearances in 1993, 1994, 1997, 2008 and 2012. However, according to Anna's stepdaughter, Sophie was more than just a co-star and also became something of a carer for Anna and Terry, who died in 2008.