Scott Mitchell was heartbroken when his wife, Barbara Windsor, passed away in 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 83 years old.
Scott, age 62, began caring for the EastEnders actress when she became ill in 2014. They had been married for 20 years before she passed away.
Five years after Barbara’s death, her former co-star Tanya Franks has helped him heal from his grief.
Scott and Tanya first connected while working together to raise funds for dementia charities. They were close friends for many years before they began a romantic relationship.
Tanya played the character Rainie Cross, a drug-addicted sex worker, on the British soap opera EastEnders for fifteen years, appearing in 382 episodes between 2007 and 2022. She previously collaborated with Barbara on a BBC series before her health worsened.
Scott and Tanya began dating publicly in July 2023. They became close while working together to raise awareness about dementia after Barbara received her diagnosis.
I was so incredibly moved when Scott ran the London Marathon in 2019 with Tanya. It meant so much to him, and he raised a fantastic amount of money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, all in memory of his mother, Barbara. It was a really special tribute.
Alzheimer’s is close to Tanya’s heart as she also ran in honour of her step-father Derek.
After his wife passed away, Scott explained that his close friendship with Tanya blossomed into a romantic relationship.
He told Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning that a wonderful relationship grew from the strong friendship they built over four years.
It’s the complete reverse of dementia. I’m lucky to have a partner who is comfortable with me talking about my late wife.
Scott and Tanya completed the London Marathon for the second time, alongside other cast members from EastEnders, as part of the team called Bab’s Army.
Scott shared that he believes you never truly get over losing someone you love deeply. He spoke about how grief continues to affect him.
‘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 described Tanya as a lovely person, but noted she’s quite private, unlike Barbara, who readily shared everything about herself.
Barbara shared everything about her life with you. Tanya, however, isn’t interested in fame; she’s a talented actress.
I don’t see the two women as comparable; they’re completely different people, and I care for both of them deeply. I only date people who are genuinely kind and wonderful.
The actor, who has previously admitted to still having panic attacks thinking about the late star, feels Barbara would have approved of his current relationship with Tanya.
Scott recently shared with Kate Thornton on her podcast that he still experiences moments of intense sadness and wakes up feeling frightened, admitting he often misses his wife, even becoming emotional about it just that morning.
‘That doesn’t change. I think it will be with me forever.
I like to think she’d be glad I had someone with me, that I wasn’t alone. She always told me she didn’t want me to ever be by myself.
Despite having some public support, Scott has faced some backlash for his relationship with Tanya.
Responding to recent criticism, he expressed frustration, saying people were quick to judge his handling of a difficult situation. He felt they didn’t understand the depth of his pain and grief, and questioned their right to criticize him.
Scott shared with the Sunday Mirror that he’s feeling very happy. He explained that dwelling on his own unhappiness wouldn’t bring Barbara back, so he’s choosing to focus on positivity.
Life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and we each only get one chance at it. Someone will always find a way to criticize, though – you can almost guarantee there will be a comment about how quickly things happened.
Barbara received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2014, but she chose to keep her condition private for four years.
Following her death, Scott shared that Barbara passed away peacefully after a battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia. He was with her for the last seven days of her life.
Barbara will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by her family, friends, and me. She brought joy, laughter, and warmth to our lives, and her talent brought entertainment to countless others throughout her career. We will always cherish the love and happiness she shared with us.
Barbara faced her final weeks just as she lived her whole life – with a strong spirit, plenty of humor, and a touch of drama, right to the very end.
Following Barbara’s passing, Scott expressed that he didn’t believe he could ever fall in love again. He shared with deep sadness, ‘I felt so lucky to have known her.’
We never seemed like a good match, but somehow, it worked beautifully. I’m incredibly grateful she chose to spend her life with me, because I doubt I’ll ever find someone like her again.
Before she married Scott, Tanya was married to actor James Barriscale. Together, they started a film and theatre production company called Stock-pot Productions.
He played Jonathan Malnet, the adoptive father of Jade Green on the soap.
James also starred in The Bill. It is not known when the couple split.
Oh my gosh, when Barbara and Scott got married back in 2000, everyone was talking about it! It wasn’t just the wedding, it was them – she was so young and he was…well, a lot older. Twenty-seven years! People couldn’t believe it, it was such a scandal, but I always thought they were perfect together. It was a truly unforgettable romance.
Before he met the famous actress, details about Scott’s relationships are scarce. However, he has recently discussed their romance, addressing speculation that they had an open marriage.
He clarified that their relationship wasn’t strictly defined, and Barbara didn’t want her husband to feel restricted. He explained in his book that while they weren’t in an open relationship, they also hadn’t completely shut off possibilities or experiences.
She believed sex and love were separate things, and she didn’t like hypocrisy. Because of this, she didn’t share her concerns with me and never asked me about it directly.
Barbara supported Scott throughout his struggle with cocaine addiction, as she shared in her autobiography. She believed she could have helped him overcome his problems if not for the intense cravings that changed him into someone she barely knew, a far cry from the loving person she’d fallen for.
Looking at him, I felt a painful contradiction: I hadn’t done anything wrong, but somehow I’d destroyed his life.
Scott would notice when I was upset and swear he’d stop drinking. But he never managed to stay sober for more than a few days before he’d start drinking heavily again.
Scott finally got help for his addiction, thanks to support from John Reid, Elton John’s manager, and therapy with Beechy Colclough.
The Daily Mail is spearheading a campaign to fight dementia, following the release of concerning data revealing it remains the leading cause of death in the UK. The disease is responsible for one in nine deaths annually, claiming the lives of 76,000 people each year.
Our newspaper’s campaign, working with the Alzheimer’s Society, is dedicated to fighting dementia. We want to help people understand the disease, get diagnosed earlier, fund more research, and ensure better care for those affected.
People with dementia experience a significant unfairness: they often have to pay more for care, and currently, there are no NHS-funded treatments to slow the progression of the condition, let alone cure or prevent it.
Despite causing significant economic hardship – costing the UK £42 billion annually – this disease receives surprisingly little research funding compared to illnesses like cancer.
Charities are worried that improvements in dementia care may slow down now that the NHS has removed it as a priority in its official planning documents, suggesting to healthcare managers and doctors that it should receive less attention.
The healthcare system wants to find at least two-thirds of people with dementia so they can receive necessary care and support. However, diagnosis rates dropped sharply during the pandemic and haven’t improved, meaning many thousands are now coping with the condition without help.
According to Tim Baverstock of the Alzheimer’s Society, many people with dementia haven’t been diagnosed: about a third in England and Northern Ireland, and almost half in Wales.
This results in thousands of people experiencing the hardship of dementia without receiving the crucial care, help, and medical attention that a diagnosis would provide.
Alzheimer’s Society has consistently worked with governments to help more people get diagnosed with dementia.
The national recovery rate is steadily increasing and is close to reaching our goal of 66.7 percent. However, getting a diagnosis still depends heavily on where you live, with significant differences between areas.
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2025-12-10 04:23