Actress Dame Barbara Windsor, known for her roles in the Carry-On series and EastEnders, has passed away aged 83.
Scott Mitchell, her husband, said she passed peacefully at 8.35pm on Thursday. She was at a London Care home with Mitchell by her side, after suffering from Alzheimer’s. Scott said, “It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserves.”
In a full statement, Mitchell said, “Barbara’s final weeks were typical of how she lived her life. Full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end.”
“Myself, her family and friends will remember Barbara with love, a smile and affection for the many years of her love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives and the entertainment she gave to so many thousands of others during her career.”
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Windsor was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 and remained an active campaigner until she passed. In her later years, she delivered a letter that demanded better care for dementia patients to Boris Johnson in 2019.
Tributes for the actress came flooding in, including one from the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took time to praise her for her activism.
So sad about Barbara Windsor, so much more than a great pub landlady & Carry On star. She campaigned for the lonely and the vulnerable – and cheered the world up with her own British brand of harmless sauciness & innocent scandal. Thoughts with Scott and all her family & friends.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 11, 2020
She became well-known to millions of TV viewers for her portrayal of landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, starring alongside her on-screen children Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden.
We are all deeply saddened that we’ve lost our Dame. Barbara created an icon in Peggy Mitchell, our formidable Landlady. To all of us at EastEnders, she was our dearest friend, truly loved and adored by everyone. Our thoughts go out to Scott and Barbara’s family. pic.twitter.com/tXgyJTci6V
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) December 11, 2020
The Alzheimer’s Society said it was “incredibly grateful” to Dame Barbara and her husband for their work bringing awareness to the disease.
In a statement, the charity said, “Dame Barbara Windsor was an amazingly true, much-loved national treasure, and in speaking out about her experiences shone like a beacon for others affected by dementia.”
The BBC announced it is dedicating Friday’s Evening schedule on BBC One to Dame Barbara “in loving memory”. Showing Babs at 19:35 GMT- a dramatisation of her life story – followed by EastEnders at 21:05 GMT.