Barbara Windsor’s “spirit is still there” but has moments where she is “far away” during her Alzheimer’s disease battle.
The EastEnders legend, 81, was diagnosed in 2014 but her condition has worsened over the years, with the Carry On actress now needed round the clock care, according to her husband Scott Mitchell.
Despite a tough few months, Larry Lamb, who played Barbara’s on-screen husband on EastEnders, shared an update on the star’s health, admitting she’s still chatty.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Larry said: “I met her husband Scott a few months ago at a do and he said she is alright and a lot of the time she is chatty, but she has moments where she is far away.
Larry Lamb said Barbara Windsor’s ‘spirit is still there’ following Alzheimer’s diagnosis (Image: BBC)
“Her spirit is still there though, dear old Babs.”
Larry added: “She is certainly very loved and it was one of the big moments of my career getting to play opposite her.”
Husband Scott, who has raised thousands of pounds for the Alzheimer’s Society after taking part in last year’s London Marathon, recently revealed his wife is struggling with short-term memory loss.
Husband Scott Mitchell said wife Barbara still has ‘the most wonderful sense of humour’ (Image: Getty Images Europe)
He told the Sunday Mirror that the actress “still has the most wonderful sense of humour” and “[they] can still make each other laugh”.
“Constantly, she does not realise where we are, even in the house. She will ask me, ‘When are we going home?'” he told the publication.
“Barbara will often say to me, ‘Do you know how to get in touch with my mum? I’d like to have a chat with her. I haven’t seen her for ages, I need to see her.”‘
“Sometimes she will ask me about people who have already passed away, as if they are still here. That is something she does regularly about her own parents. It is a very difficult one.”
He added that the situation was “heartbreaking”, explaining that she forgets short-term things like if she’s had dinner, but remembers things about her childhood and early career.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
