Dame Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell has defended his relationship with her former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks. 

Barbara, known for her portrayal of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, died from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2020 at the age of 83.

Scott, 62, became Barbara’s carer in 2014 when she fell ill with the disease and the pair were married for 20 years before her death in 2020. 

Scott, who recently shared that he ‘still wakes up in panic’ worrying about the late star, like he did when she was still alive, believes Barbara would have given her blessing for his new romance with Tanya, 56.

The couple went public with their relationship last year, having grown close while campaigning together for dementia awareness following Barbara’s diagnosis.

Tanya, best known for playing Rainie Cross in the BBC soap, worked with Barbara on EastEnders before her health began to decline.

Dame Barbara Windsor ‘s widower Scott Mitchell has defended his relationship with her former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks; pictured 2024

Barbara, known for her portrayal of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, died from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2020 at the age of 83; pictured 2019

Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Scott admitted: ‘I still wake in terror. I still have moments – this morning I was quite emotional – where I just miss her.

‘That doesn’t change. I think it will be with me forever.

‘I would like to believe she would be happy that someone was there by my side and that I wasn’t on my own. She always used to say to me, ‘I never want you to be on your own.’

Despite having some public support, Scott has faced some backlash for his relationship with Tanya. 

Hitting back at criticism, he said: ‘There was a bit of, “Oh he’s moved on too fast.” And you just think, “How dare you?” People don’t know the pain. They don’t know what the grief has been.’

Scott also told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: ‘I’m incredibly happy. Me being unhappy and alone is not going to bring Barbara back. Life is very much for the living and we all get one sH๏τ at living. Of course, there’s always someone on the internet, who’s going to say, “Oh, it didn’t take him long.”‘

Scott and Tanya initially bonded through their work with the Alzheimer’s Society and were close friends for years before their relationship turned romantic.

Reflecting on his ongoing grief, Scott said: ‘I don’t think anyone ever gets over a loss of someone they love so deeply.

Scott, 62, became Barbara’s carer in 2014 when she fell ill with the disease and the pair were married for 20 years before her death in 2020; pictured 2017

Scott, who recently shared that he ‘still wakes up in panic’ worrying about the late star, believes Barbara would have given her blessing for his new romance with Tanya, 56

He said: ‘I would like to believe she would be happy that someone was there by my side and that I wasn’t on my own. She always used to say to me, ‘I never want you to be on your own’

Read More Dame Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell admits he still wakes up in panic about the late star

‘I think we find ways of carrying them with us, and that’s what I try to do every day.’

Scott refused to compare Barbara and Tanya but admitted they are ‘very different’ from one another.

He said: ‘Tanya is a wonderful lady. She’s very private. She’s not how Barbara was in that respect. Barbara was an open book. Barbara told you every detail about her life. Tanya has no interest in celebrity. She is a very good actress. At the moment, she’s appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in Much Ado About Nothing.

‘I don’t compare the two ladies. They’re very different and I have love for both of them. I wouldn’t be with anyone who wasn’t truly lovely.’

In the wake of the loss of his wife, Scott detailed how his ‘incredible friendship’ with Tanya, 57, became a romance.

Speaking to This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, he said: ‘We forged an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it…

‘The exact opposite of what dementia is. I’m very fortunate that I have a partner that doesn’t mind me speaking about my late wife.’ 

Scott and Tanya forged a close friendship over the years as they worked together to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s with ‘Bab’s Army’. 

Alzheimer’s is close to Tanya’s heart with her running in the London Marathon as part of Bab’s Army for her step-father Derek. 

Tanya, who knew EastEnders star Barbara and played drug addict prosтιтute Rainie Cross on the soap, admitted she can do ‘nothing but support’ Scott discussing Barbara’s battle and his work in caring for the TV icon. 

Despite having some public support, Scott has faced some backlash for his relationship with Tanya. Hitting back at criticism, he said: ‘There was a bit of, ‘Oh he’s moved on too fast.’ And you just think, ‘How dare you?’ People don’t know the pain’

Tanya said: ‘I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s…

‘The communication allowed the support system to grow. Barbara is as much about the legacy of Alzheimer’s as it is me going through it with my step father. It is hundreds of thousands that we’ve raised from doing the three marathons.’