Dame Barbara Windsor’s widower, Scott Mitchell, has found love again with EastEnders star Tanya Franks.
Scott, who cared for the late Carry On star during her battle with Alzheimer’s, has said he is grateful to Tanya for understanding that Barbara will always be a significant part of his life. He has since said he’s “very happy”.
He said on the How to be 60 podcast: “I got into a new relationship last year. I’m very happy, she’s a wonderful lady who knew Barbara and is very understanding.
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“It can’t be easy to be with someone who was the other half of Barbara Windsor, especially the fact that I still put myself out there and talk about her. So, it says to me the type of person that Tanya is, that she can deal with that.”
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
He explained there will always be a place for Barbara in his heart and admitted that turning the TV on and seeing her face sometimes will take his breath away. Tanya, 56, known for her roles in Family Affairs and EastEnders, first met Scott, 60, during their joint efforts to raise Alzheimer’s awareness.
They were seen together after running the 2019 London Marathon for the cause, and their friendship eventually turned into love last year.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
He explained that moving on wasn’t a quick thing for him to do, adding: “I think we all have to be very careful when we make judgements. It’s different for everyone. As far as I’m concerned, I started losing Barbara many years ago. I’ve been grieving her since that day of diagnosis [in 2014].
“It’s like eight years of grieving, how long can I grieve for? I know [Barbara] wanted me to be happy, I know I deserve to be happy. It doesn’t take away anything that we shared. All of our lives go by very quickly and we can be held back by worrying what others might say. You’ve just got to live your life.”
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Scott, who was married to Barbara for two decades, said she began to forget things in 2010 and found out she had Alzheimer’s in 2014.
He said he often visits her grave, adding: “I have a little chat to her and fill her in on all the gossip. I do feel that she’s always around. I know she’d be happy to know I’m happy now and feeling more settled.”
He continued: “I think the work we’ve done with Alzheimer’s is really important for her legacy. We now have the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia mission, which is Government funded. We’ve doubled the money for research. I hope her legacy’s going to be a lot more than her bra flying off in Carry on Camping, although what a legacy that was!”
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star’s editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
