‘I’m not so well now’: Barbara Windsor’s close friend says EastEnders star has ‘gone downhill rapidly’ after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

The actress was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2014
Devastating: TV legend Dame Barbara Windsor
Getty Images
Emma Powell11 May 2018
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Dame Barbara Windsor has gone “downhill rapidly” in the wake of her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, a friend has claimed.

Windsor’s husband Scott Mitchell revealed earlier this week that his wife of 18 years has been living with the degenerative disease since 2014.

Paul Bennett, a close friend of the former EastEnders actress, opened up about her diagnosis, telling the Daily Mail that she is aware her condition is worsening.

“I spoke to Scott last week and he said she had gone downhill rapidly over the past couple of weeks,” he said.

“I talked to Barbara as well and she just said: ‘I’m not so well now’.”

His comments came as Mitchell, 55, revealed Windsor, 80, “suddenly has no recollection of our history”.

Support: Dame Barbara Windsor with her husband Scott Mitchell
PA

In an emotional interview with The Sun he said: “She’ll look at her wedding ring and say, ‘Are we married?’ But that’s the thing about this cruel disease, isn’t it?”

He told the paper he first noticed symptoms in 2009 when she began finding it difficult to learn her lines as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders.

By 2016, her forgetfulness and confusion were getting worse, and it was agreed she would leave the soap for good.

Mitchell chose to go public with the news now as her symptoms have deteriorated in recent weeks. He said going public at the time of diagnosis would have been detrimental to his wife's health.

Barbara Windsor - In pictures

1/30

He told The Sun: “Since her 80th birthday last August, a definite continual confusion has set in, so it's becoming a lot more difficult for us to hide.

“I'm doing this because I want us to be able to go out and, if something isn't quite right, it will be OK because people will now know that she has Alzheimer's and will accept it for what it is."

Windsor – who is also famed for her roles in the Carry On film franchise – cried and said “I’m so sorry” as she received the devastating diagnosis.

Former colleagues have rallied round to offer their support with many paying tribute to the TV “legend”.

Shane Ritchie, who played Alfie Moon on EastEnders, said: “This forgetfulness palaver can jog on.”

Daniel Mays, who briefly starred in the BBC soap, tweeted: “Sending my love and deepest wishes to Barbara Windsor. She welcomed me with open arms on my first gig @bbceastenders. I’ll never forget her warmth and generosity. It meant the world to me. A class act #Legend.”

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan posted: “Sending my love & support to the fabulous Dame Barbara Windsor, one of my favourite people.

“Alzheimer’s is a horrible thing. She & Scott going public about it like this is a typically gutsy decision by one of the gutsiest ladies I know. We’re all rooting for you, Babs!”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in