The TV star was diagnosed in 2014…
Barbara Windsor’s husband has revealed how she uses her old TV shows and movies to help ease her dementia following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2014.
Scott Mitchell, who admitted Barbara’s condition has worsened and she can no longer be left alone, said that his wife still watches EastEnders, in which she played pub landlady Peggy Mitchell, and Carry On films to remind herself of her past.
‘The Carry Ons were on over Christmas. She does watch them and she can get quite emotional because she says that is a past version of her,’ he told The Mirror.
‘She still watches EastEnders every night. There’s still a picture of Peggy behind the bar and every time that comes into shot, I say “look, look, there’s my wife” and she always laughs and says, “that’s nice that they’ve still got that there,” so it’s really good.
‘Those memories do trigger things off. They are quite clear. She knows there’s a strong association with EastEnders and Carry Ons and that’s quite nice.’
Scott, who married Barbara in 2000, previously admitted he is having therapy to cope with the struggles of her condition.
He said: ‘I look after myself, I take myself away and see a therapist. I have no shame in saying that.’
Scott and a number of EastEnders stars will run the London Marathon in a team called Barbara’s Revolutionaries, to raise money for the Dementia Revolution, a campaign formed by charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
He and the team, which includes Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Jake Wood (Max Branning), are hoping to raise £100,000.
