Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell finds love again with EastEnders star
Barbara Windsor’s widower, Scott Mitchell, has found love again with another EastEnders star three years after the death of his beloved wife.
Windsor, a national treasure, died peacefully in a care home in December 2020 at the age of 83, after living with Alzheimer’s since 2014 and going public with her diagnosis in 2018.
Now, almost three years on since her death, Mitchell has spoken about finding love again and admitted to The Sun: “Life feels really good right now.”
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60-year-old Mitchell went public with his relationship with actress Tanya Franks while on holiday in Greece this month.
Just like his late wife, 55-year-old Franks has also appeared in EastEnders.
She played Rainie Cross, Tanya Branning’s sister, in the iconic BBC soap between August 2007 and August 2022.
Mitchell admitted that friends and families are thrilled to see them both so happy, saying: "Life feels really good right now and we are enjoying some special time together”.
A source told the newspaper: “Scott has found love again with Tanya and is truly happy. His and Barbara’s friends are delighted he’s found someone to share his life with.
“It’s fairly early days but Scott is cautiously now looking forward to the future. They made the decision to update their wider circles while on holiday in Greece and everyone was over the moon.
“There is so much friendship and respect between them both and they’re taking things slowly.”
Aside from her TV career mirroring Windsor's, Franks is also known for her roles in Pulling and Broadchurch.
The pair got close as they trained for the London Marathon together alongside a team of other EastEnders stars in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Before this year’s marathon in April, Mitchell hinted he was looking to move on after losing his wife of 20 years as he announced he'd be stepping back from running.
“This is definitely my last marathon and my last time running for Babs’ Army," he said at the time. “I know I said that last time but this one really is my last one. It doesn’t get easier.
“For the last few years I have tried to keep Barbara’s memory alive. I’ve done my best to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s and dementia but I think after this marathon it will be time to pull back a little."
He added: “It has been really important for me to do but it’s now time to focus on myself for a bit. I need to look after myself and focus on my future and my happiness.”
Scott has tried to keep his late wife's memory alive by becoming a devoted fundraiser and ambassador for Alzheimer’s Research UK, funding 'Babs’ Army', which has raised thousands of pounds.
He also devotes his time to the Government-funded Dame Barbara Dementia Mission.
He appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier this week to talk about the approval by US drug regulator the FDA of the first drug proven to slow the disease.
Topics: Celebrity, Eastenders, Health, Sex and Relationships, UK News
Amelia Jones