Still Game fans pay tribute to actress Gina Lollobrigida ‘who had fling with character on the show’...

STILL Game fans have been paying tribute to legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida after her unlikely link to the show resurfaced.

The movie star - who died aged 95 on Monday - was one of the most popular leading ladies in the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s.

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida died aged 95Credit: Getty Gina was dubbed the 'most beautiful woman in the world' in her Hollywood heydayCredit: Getty Eric Jones passed away in the latest episode of Still GameCredit: BBC

Known as “La Lollo”, Gina had reportedly been hospitalised for some before she passed away in Rome, reports media in Italy.

Her biggest hits included movies such as Solomon and Sheba, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and a critically acclaimed performance in Bread, Love and Dreams.

But the film icon, once dubbed "the most beautiful woman in the world", has received unlikely tributes from fans of the hit BBC comedy after forming part of the storyline in one particular episode.

Still Game fanatics have recalled how OAP character Eric Jones - played by 91-year-old actor James Martin - bragged that he enjoyed a fictional romantic fling with Ms Lollobrigida.

During the show, the retired fireman - who was killed off in 2018 - claimed he met the Hollywood beauty during a trip to Rome whilst on leave from the Navy.

The pensioner told Craiglang pals Jack, Victor and Winston he met the screen star and swept her off her feet.

Cheeky Still Game fans even edited the movie star's Wikipedia page in a bid to back up Eric's claims of a romance after his character was killed off in 2018.

Still Game star Ford Kiernan took to Twitter following Gina's death, saying: "Hollywood be like, Who the f***’s Eric fae the Clansman?"

And fans of the hit show flocked to the comments to remember the star.

One wrote: "He was the first person I thought of when I read the news about Gina!"

Another said: "First thing we said when we heard the news - Eric’ll be gutted!"

A third added: "A miss auld Eric."

A fourth put: "Gi it reet rund ye Hollywood!"

We told how Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill want fans to go undercover with their limited edition Jack and Victor pyjamas.

The duo - who played the pesky Craiglang pensioners - launched their tartan nightwear from their website at the weekend only to see sets sell-out within hours.