{"id":307916,"date":"2025-12-10T00:34:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/307916\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T00:34:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:34:16","slug":"barbara-windsors-widower-scott-mitchell-reveals-signs-sent-by-eastenders-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/307916\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell reveals ‘signs’ sent by EastEnders icon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barbara Windsor’s widower, a fierce champion when it comes to awareness and campaiging around dementia, opens up exclusively to the Mirror ahead of the fifth anniversary of his late wife’s death<\/p>\n

19:00, 09 Dec 2025Updated 19:26, 09 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"ScottScott and Barbara were together for 27 years before her death in 2020(Image: DAILY EXPRESS)<\/p>\n

Scott Mitchell <\/a>says he is still haunted by the memories of witnessing the deterioration of his legendary actress wife Dame Barbara Windsor, who died five years ago tomorrow<\/a> – but he\u2019s determined to remember the good times.<\/p>\n

The EastEnders<\/a> icon, who played feisty Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell <\/a>for over a decade, died in December 2020 aged 83, six years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her death was mourned by her millions of fans<\/a> who fell in love with her glamour, comedy timing and ability to light up and command any stage or screen. Five years on, her widow Scott, 62, says Barbara\u2019s infectious energy is \u201cstill very present\u201d, but so too are the memories of what the disease robbed her of.<\/p>\n

\"scottBarbara bravely going public with her diagnosis ‘changed the narrative on dementia’, says Scott (Image: IAN VOGLER\/DAILY MIRROR)\"ScottBarbara received an MBE from the Queen in 2000(Image: Press Association)<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I never had to experience the terror in Barbara\u2019s eyes, when she didn\u2019t know where she was, who I was – who she was\u201d he exclusively tells the Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat haunts me. No human being should have to leave this world<\/a> in the way those suffering with dementia do. Nobody. That\u2019s why we have to keep talking about it.<\/p>\n

He adds emotionally of the disease which now affects 1 in 2 people in Britain – either personally, or as a loved one caring for someone, \u201cHaving witnessed it first hand, developing dementia <\/a>myself is actually my biggest fear – absolutely. I think it\u2019s most people\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott adds, \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking of how she was at the end – and it\u2019s made me think about how vitally important it is that we all remember what Barbara stood for before this devastating illness took hold.<\/p>\n

“And that was an incredibly vivacious, fun-loving, talented, positive lady who brought real joy to people\u2019s lives. Still now, when people talk about her, they smile – they can\u2019t help it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraScott says some ‘laughed’ when he and Barbara first got together – but their love was ‘unconditional'(Image: Press Association)<\/p>\n

Together for 27 years, Scott, who found love again with former EastEnders actress Tanya Franks<\/a> (Rainie Cross), says he still receives and takes comfort in \u201csigns\u201d from his late wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was asked to do a talk a couple of months ago at a literary festival in Gibraltar and I got lost in the hotel and found myself in the Windsor Room,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd the other weekend, I stayed on a housebarge not long ago by the river -the boat was called Little Babs. One of the other boats in the marina was called Peggy!\u201d He also visits her final resting place <\/a>in Golders Green Crematorium, London, where there is a plaque in the West Courtyard which reads, \u201cShe was a good bird\u201d – the obituary title she chose herself, on Piers Morgan<\/a> \u2019s Life Stories.<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraShe loved other people and hearing their stories, says Scott(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a nice little chat, \u201c he explains. \u201cYour loved ones are always with you, you know? I don\u2019t believe people die and that\u2019s the end of it. I believe our loved ones are around us.\u201d While she received her diagnosis of dementia in 2014, Barbara, who was appointed a Dame in 2016 for services to charity and entertainment, kept the news private for the next four years.<\/p>\n

But the outpouring of love and support led to her to become an ambassador for the Alzheimer\u2019s Society and a year before her death, she and Scott delivered a petition to Downing Street <\/a>to highlight concerns over dementia care. Scott tells us \u201ccharities have told me that she completely changed the narrative on dementia”. He now campaigns as the People\u2019s Champion of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals Programme – put in place while Boris Johnson<\/a> was still in office, and recommitted to by the current government.<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraBarbara’s performances in the Carry On Movies were iconic(Image: TV GRABS)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the 10-year health plan just published, they mention this programme – and to me, that\u2019s such an honour for Barbara. I\u2019m passionate about social care, which we discussed at Downing Street five years ago<\/a>. Five years on, and we know that people are still struggling desperately – it needs revisited. I know I can\u2019t save the world, nor can Barbara\u2019s name – but we can make a difference. And people desperately need to know help is on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott has also made an important decision – to no longer align himself to one charity, as he had done for the past five years with Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK. \u201cI\u2019m now open to supporting other dementia charities if I feel Barbara\u2019s name is the right association for specific campaigns\u201d, he says. \u201cIn the past I have said no, as I was more aligned with one charity. There are many areas of the Dementia world that I feel passionately about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraScott met Barbara a month before she joined Albert Square – and Peggy Mitchell was born(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not only Scott keeping Barbara\u2019s memory alive. Famous faces such as David Walliams<\/a>, Matt Lucas, Ross Kemp <\/a>and other EastEnders stars – as well as Paul O\u2019Grady before he died, not only continue to speak about her, but have been there for Scott since her passing. \u201cWe have this niche of incredible people who\u2019ve always been there. When somebody becomes ill like Barbara did, you really notice who drops away – who your real friends are. But they stood fast. Tanya and I go out with David and his mum a lot, we\u2019re always reminiscing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of Tanya, Scott admits he has no qualms talking to her about his late wife. \u201cShe allows me to talk about Barbara any time I need to. In the same way she can with me. I\u2019m never second-guessing if the moment\u2019s right.\u201d Tanya will also regularly accompany Scott to his regular talks about the lived experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s<\/a>. He says, \u201cThe first thing I do is introduce Tanya and say, \u2018Before we start I\u2019d like to acknowledge my partner Tanya is here – and thank her for allowing me to share my story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I thought any of it hurt her, I wouldn\u2019t do it. But she has her own invested passion when it comes to Alzheimer’s – her step-dad Derek died last year after an 11-year journey with it<\/a>. We\u2019re both passionate about campaigning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ScottScott first met new love Tanya Franks training for the London Marathon together(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Scott met Tanya doing the London Marathon <\/a>when various EastEnders cast members got together to run in Barbara\u2019s name, when she was still alive. Tanya and Barbara\u2019s time never crossed in Albert Square, but they met during training for the marathon. \u201cThe team used to come to our house\u201d, explains Scott, \u201cand Tanya and Barbara got on really well. Barbara liked Tanya – she\u2019d say, \u2018She asks sensible questions about acting.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cTanya wanted to know all about theatre director Joan Littlewood, she knew her stuff and that meant a lot to Barbara. It was lovely that they did meet.\u201d But his new romance hasn\u2019t been without judgemental comments. \u201cThere\u2019s always that person that says, \u2018That was quick!\u2019 It\u2019s easy to sit on the sidelines and cast judgement – especially with social media. These people forget that their words can really hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the flipside, Scott gets many more people coming up to him, to this day, wanting to talk about Barbara. \u201cThe legacy she\u2019s left is amazing<\/a>. Every London cabbie asks me about her – they all say, she is \u2018so missed\u2019, popping up on TV – spreading that infectious laugh.<\/p>\n

\"BarbaraScott believes in ‘signs’ from the late actress and says ‘our loved ones never truly leave us'(Image: PA)\"scottShe ‘sprinkled fairydust’ wherever she went, recalls Scott(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cCertain people truly earn the title of national treasure – Barbara was one of them. But for me, I\u2019ll simply remember how she was, how loving she was with me.<\/a> She made me laugh so much – she was true to herself, honest about her flaws and her past. She taught me a lot about getting rid of ego – I wasn\u2019t as good at that in my younger days. People laughed when we first got together, but we lasted the course – it was unconditional love.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughs, \u201cIt took us forever to go anywhere, she\u2019d talk to everyone. It was like walking down the street with Tinkerbell. She loved other people and their stories – she would sprinkle her special fairy dust on everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Christmas<\/a>, Scott will be spending it with Tanya and their families. He says quietly, \u201cYou always look at empty chairs at Christmas. And we\u2019ll be remembering our loved ones – as it should be.\u201d His big hope for next year is a simple one: \u201cThat Barbara\u2019s memory continues to make a huge impact. And that everyone remembers her with a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

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