Dame Barbara Windsor’s husband has paid tribute to his “wife, best friend and soulmate” saying his “heart or life will never feel the same without you” following her death aged 83.
The actress, one of Britain’s most beloved entertainment stars, first found fame in her role as a buxom blonde in the Carry On films and later became a household name playing Peggy Mitchell, the Queen Vic’s battle-axe landlady in BBC soap EastEnders.
Dame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014 and made the news public in 2018.
She died at 8.35pm on Thursday at a London care home, according to her husband Scott Mitchell.
He said the cherished actress’s final weeks were “typical of how she lived her life” and “full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end”.
Mr Mitchell said: “Her passing was from Alzheimer’s/dementia and Barbara eventually died peacefully and I spent the last seven days by her side.
“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.
“Barbara’s final weeks were typical of how she lived her life. Full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end.
“It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve. I will always be immensely proud of Barbara’s courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could.”
Mr Mitchell, who alongside his wife campaigned for greater dementia care from the Government, added: “Dementia/Alzheimer’s remains the UKs number one killer. Although in challenging times, I urge the Prime Minister, his government and other parties to be true to their previous promises and invest more into dementia/Alzheimer’s research and care.
Dame Barbara Windsor met Boris Johnson after she delivered an Alzheimer’s Society open letter, calling on him to address the ‘devastating state’ of dementia care (Simon Dawson/PA)
Dame Barbara Windsor with her husband Scott Mitchell (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
The TV star was made a Dame Commander of the order of the British Empire (John Stillwell/PA)
The Queen met Barbara Windsor inside the Queen Vic during her visit to Elstree Studios (Fiona Hanson/PA)
Dame Barbara as Peggy Mitchell, with Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden, who played her sons Grant and Phil on the soap (Kieron McCarron/BBC/PA)
With Carry On co-stars Sid James in 1973 (PA)
With composer Lionel Bart during dress rehearsals for Twang! in 1965 (PA)
Riding a motorbike during a visit to the International Motor Show at Earls Court in London in 1980 (PA)
On stage at the London Palladium rehearsing her role as the Fairy in Babes In The Wood pantomime in 1987 (PA)
Barbara Windsor on a 1960s Routemaster bus to join military personnel to mark London Poppy Day in 2014 (Steve Parsons/PA)
Dame Barbara Windsor with the BBC Children in Need mascot Pudsey in 2017 (Yui Mok/PA)
The actress on the trading floor during the BGC Partners Charity Day in London (Ian West/PA)
Dame Barbara next to an English Heritage blue plaque for her Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams (John Stillwell/PA)
The TV star offers the wax figure of Sir Winston Churchill some lunch at Madame Tussauds in central London (John Stillwell/PA)
Arriving at the Hammersmith Palais for Elton John’s 50th birthday party in 1997 (PA)
Dame Barbara and husband Scott Mitchell arriving for the National Television Awards in 2010 (Zak Hussein/PA)
Boris Johnson announced Barbara Windsor as his ‘Street Party Champion’ for the Big Lunch, when he was mayor of London (Ian West/PA)
The actress with EastEnders co-star Ross Kemp (Myung Jung Kim/PA)
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