Gavin and Stacey star Larry Lamb, 78, makes honest death admission after finale

Gavin and Stacey star Larry Lamb has revealed that he is thinking more about death in his twilight years. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, the former EastEnders actor admitted that the topic of mortality has been on his mind as he writes more poetry. Larry, 78, recently returned as Mick Shipman in the global phenomenon Gavin and Stacey, which ended with its highly anticipated finale on Christmas Day last year.

Larry first played the role in 2006, but he is also arguably best known for playing Archie Mitchell on the BBC soap opera EastEnders before his character was killed off in 2009. He has since revealed that Gavin and Stacey will be his final major acting role.

Speaking about his poetry, he told us: "I carry my notebook around with me, and things occur to me. I think, 'I'm going to look a bit deeper into that' and maybe think about that and maybe use that as the core of a poem."

When quizzed about what type of poetry he was writing about, he replied: "It's about life. And as I get older, it's about the approaching end. It's about being born, it's about knowing you're gonna die, and enjoying every moment as best you can.

"Live life to the full, all the way to the very end, and writing about it makes it far more straightforward to deal with because you're not denying it. I don't think I stopped for myself being immortal until I was about 65, and then all of a sudden you think, 'Oh, I'm not immortal anymore.' I am mortal now. I've crossed the line," he continued.

Larry and social media star Ash Holme have recently fronted a campaign about adulthood and different rites of passage. According to new research from Sky, more Brits consider getting on the property ladder a significant rite of passage into adulthood than tying the knot or changing nappies.

Over a third (37%) say buying their first big appliance, such as a washing machine or fridge, was the moment they truly felt grown up. Meanwhile, for just over 14.3 million people (26%), it was buying their first TV, ahead of traditional milestones like setting up a pension (23%) and switching utility providers (10%).

Speaking about the campaign, Larry said: "Truth be told, I'm relieved that being a 'proper adult' still isn't really about age at all - it's when you start caring about bin day and get excited about a decent cuppa in front of your smart new Sky telly. Ash might be more clued up on TikTok than she is with a toolbox, but between us, we nailed the adulting thing...eventually."

Larry Lamb and Ash Holme star in newest campaign created by Sky Glass Air TV, set against the backdrop of a moving-in-day. Getting a grown-up telly has never been easier, with the Sky Glass Air 4K TV available from just £6 a month.