Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith had been close friends since their time at the Old Vic theatre in London in the 1950s

Dame Judi Dench has spoken about her grief after the death of her close friend, fellow Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away last week. The star was asked about Dame Maggie on stage during the Cheltenham Literature Festival by fellow actor Brendan O'Hea.

Dame Judi Dench was moved to tears on Saturday after she was asked about her late friends Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt.

A week after Maggie Smith‘s death, best friend Dame Judi Dench is at a loss for words. When asked about Smith’s death at age 89, as well as the death of friend and collaborator Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Dench broke down into tears during a conversation on Saturday at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.