Dick Van Dyke makes heartbreaking admission as he edges towards 100th birthday

Legendary actor has shared a heartbreaking admission ahead of his 100th birthday. The 99-year-old star of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened up on "losing a lot of friends" as he faced the "curse" as he is set to reach the milestone birthday in December this year.

The Hollywood star made the comments during a question and answer event in Malibu, California, alongside his wife, Arlene Silver, 53. He reflected on the death of his long-time friend and co-star Ed Asner in 2021, which halted plans for a remake of The Odd Couple, as he opened up on the people he had lost.

Dick said: "That would have been such fun - and we lost it. I've lost a lot of friends." His wife Arlene cut in and said: "He's outlived everybody. That's the curse of living to 100."

Despite the sorrow of outliving many close friends and co-stars, Arlene noted that Dick has remained "so positive". "Well, life's been good to me. I can't complain," Dick said.

Asked what the secret to a long life is, Dick said his work and continuing to perform keeps him young because it "energises" him. Back in January, on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, he shared: "I've always exercised. Three days a week we go to the gym, still. Three days a week. And I think that's it - why I'm not stove up like my equals."

He added: "I get down and do a lot of stretching and yoga," before noting he uses workout equipment to achieve a full-body sweat.

Fellow actor Ted Danson, 77, who is known for Cheers and more recently in series A Man on the Inside, recalled seeing Dick at the gym in Malibu. He said: "If I got there early enough I would see you literally workout on some weight machine and then - almost like you were doing circuit training - you would not walk to the next machine, but dance.

"You literally danced to the next machine and I watched that for a couple of weeks." His wife Arlene added: "He still does that."