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Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell and his new partner Tanya Franks opened up about their romance on Monday’s episode of Lorraine.
Following the loss of his wife of 20 years in December 202083 years old, after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Scott, 61, detailed how his ‘incredible friendship’ with Tanya, 56, turned into romance.
Speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, he said: ‘We’ve formed an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it…
“The exact opposite of what dementia is. I’m very lucky to have a partner who doesn’t mind me talking about my late wife.’
Scott and Tanya formed a close friendship over the years as they worked together to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s with ‘Bab’s Army’.
Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell and his new partner Tanya Franks opened up about their romance on Monday’s episode of Lorraine
Scott’s wife of 20 years, Dame Barbara, died in December 2020, aged 83, after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease (pictured 2011)
Tanya had a close bond with Barbara and this year ran the London Marathon as part of Bab’s army. When Barbara died, she shared this photo on Instagram along with a tribute
Alzheimer’s is close to Tanya’s heart as she ran in the London Marathon as part of Bab’s Army for her stepfather Derek.
Tanya, who knew EastEnders star Barbara and played drug addict prostitute Rainie Cross on the soap, admitted she can’t help but support Scott in discussing Barbara’s battle and his work looking after the TV icon.
Tanya said: ‘I can’t do anything but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s…
‘Communication made the support system grow. Barbara is as much about the legacy of Alzheimer’s as it is me going through it with my stepfather. It’s hundreds of thousands we’ve raised from doing the three marathons.’
Scott reiterated: ‘If someone for next year’s marathon wants to give a million pounds, a big company or sponsor, I’ll do another marathon and shave my hair off too, and that’s the big one, shave my hair off.’
“I don’t want people to go through the final stages of what I went through with Barbara.”
Back in January, Scott described Tanya as ‘wonderful’ as she ‘understands’ Barbara will ‘always have a place in my heart’.
Scott told Kaye Adams about her How to be 60 podcast he is ‘very happy’ in his new relationship, with someone who is ‘very understanding’.
Barbara and Scott married in 2000 and their romance was controversial at the time due to their 27-year age difference (pictured in 2000)
Tanya played crack cocaine addict Rainie Cross on the BBC soap, where her story followed her and Barbara’s son Phil Mitchell on screen
He said: ‘She is a wonderful lady who knew Barbara. It can’t be easy being with someone who was the other half of Barbara Windsor, especially the fact that I still put myself out there talking about her.
So that tells me the type of person Tanya is that she can handle it. She is very sure of herself as a person. Just because you’re not with someone for whatever reason doesn’t mean you’re just turning off some love valve.’
Before her relationship with Scott, Tanya was married to fellow actor James Barriscale, with whom she founded the film and theater production company Stock-pot Productions.
He played Jonathan Malnet, the adoptive father of Jade Green on the soap. Scott said his love for Barbara will always have a place in his heart.
He said: ‘I might turn on the TV and suddenly she’ll be there and it takes my breath away sometimes because I don’t expect it’.
Scott said he began to mourn Barbara on the day of her diagnosis and believes the actress would have given him and Tanya her blessing.
Barbara played Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders (pictured with her sons Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and Phil (Steve McFadden) in 2016)