Barbara Windsor gave husband message before death as he opens up about finding love with her Eastenders co-star

The late, great Barbara Windsor gave her husband a sweet message of encouragement before her death in 2020.

Windsor, known for portrayal of Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders from 1994 until 2016, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia, in 2014.

Scott Michell had been married to the TV legend up until she passed away at the age of 83 in 2020.

The 62-year-old, in her memory, now leads the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, which has been backed by the government.

Michell announced that he was in a relationship with Windsor's EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks, 57, in 2023, after the pair met through their shared experiences with dementia advocacy.

Franks' step-father also lost his life to the disease, which can cause memory loss, speaking difficulties, and difficulty making decisions.

Barbara Windsor gave her husband a message of encouragement before her death in 2020 (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

As the pair bonded through their struggles, Mitchell told Best magazine in 2023 that Windsor wished him all the best before she died.

"Barbara told me to cry, be broken-hearted, then have the best time," he revealed. "Knowing Barbara, she would have remarried a nice 25-year-old by now.

"Now it's time to think about me and my future. Barbara will always be a massive part of my life, but she would want me to move on."

In a recent interview with The Mirror, Mitchell opened up about his relationship with the late actor.

“She’d be incredibly proud now to know that her name is still helping people,” he said. “I’m very proud of the lady she was and the mark that she’s left.

“I always joke and say, ‘She won’t only be remembered for a bra flying off in Carry On Camping or telling people to get out of her pub’.

Franks bonded with Mitchell through their shared experiences with dementia advocacy (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

“There’s a new legacy for Barbara Windsor. And that is the world of dementia, helping people, and that’s very important.”

Mitchell admitted that he felt helpless as his wife suffered with the incurable disease."

“You’re powerless against it. It’s a much bigger force and presence than we are. You watch someone you love slowly being taken away. Everything they stood for is stripped away. You see them reverting back to childhood,” he said.

“You will do things as a carer for your loved one that maybe you should never have to do in their lives. Personal care. And that’s the hard part. Not being able to do anything about it.

"That’s what has always pushed me with the campaigning. That’s what drives me.”