Carry On star Charles Hawtrey preferred to sit "on his own" when he wasn't filming, his co-star revealed.

The actor, who died aged 73 in 1988, was a regular in the Carry On film franchise, appearing in more than 20 including the first in 1958.

Despite being a familiar face on set, the late star was branded a "bit of a loner" by Kenneth Cope, who took the leading role in two of the films, Carry On at Your Convenience and Carry On Matron.

Back in 2019, he discussed his experience working on the two films and his relationships with other members of the cast during an interview with Retro Boy.

Cope, who died at the age of 93 in September last year, recalled: "Sid [James] was wonderful, he really was. I got on well with Kenny [Williams] too and used to sit with him and do the crossword.

"I knew Bernie [Bresslaw] socially before the Carry On's as we used to go out together for meals. I had lunch with Hattie [Jacques] every day on 'Matron' and she was great. Charles Hawtrey was a bit of a loner. He was wonderful on set and knew his lines, but after a scene he would be sat on his own."

He added: "Both Geral [Thomas] and Peter [Rogers] were lovely men and really listened to you if you had any ideas, they both looked after you."

Before landing his roles in the Carry On films, Cope appeared on ITV's Coronation Street as Jed Stone. He starred in more than 100 episodes between 1961 to 1966.

The character briefly returned in 2008 and 2009, marking Cope's final acting appearance. A statement from his agent said Cope "passed away peacefully in his sleep" with his wife and family by his side.

His death came months before fellow Carry On star Julian Holloway, who passed away aged 80 in February. He was a regular in the franchise, appearing in eight films between 1967 and 1976.

The late star admitted it wasn't all positive when it came to filming, telling Retroboy in 2018: "Camping. It was a miserable shoot. It was a bad time of the year and all the stories of painting the trees and spraying the grass are totally true."

He also recalled the intense pressure he felt at that time due to working several jobs.

"I was so overwhelmed with work at that stage as I was also doing a play in the evenings," Holloway recounted. "I remember Kenneth Williams saying to me on that shoot not to hang around."