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Barbara Windsor's widow Scott: 'She would want me to find new love'

"Cry, be broken-hearted, then have the best time"

Dame Barbara Windsor arrives at 10 Downing Street with her husband Scott Mitchell on September 2, 2019 in London, England. Barbara Windsor, who suffers from Alzheimers, met with the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street to discuss dementia care. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
Dame Barbara Windsor told husband Scott Mitchell to 'have the best time' after she died. (Getty Images)

Dame Barbara Windsor’s husband Scott Mitchell has said she would want him to move on and find new love.

The EastEnders star died in December 2020 aged 83 having been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2014.

Mitchell — who was 26 years younger than the Carry On star when they married in 2000 — told Best magazine: "Before she died, Barbara told me to cry, be broken-hearted, then have the best time. Knowing Barbara, she would have remarried a nice 25-year-old by now!"

Read more: Emma Barton praises Barbara Windsor's work ethic: 'She never complained'

He added: "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."

EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor with her new husband Scott Mitchell arriving for The Pride of Britain Awards at the Hilton Hotel in London. The awards will pay tribute to those who have most inspired the nation over the past 12 months.   (Photo by Ian Nicholson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
Barbara Windsor married Scott Mitchell when she was 63 and he was 27. (Getty Images)

Since Windsor's death Mitchell has continued to campaign for Alzheimers Research UK in her memory, raising over £170k.

He will be running the London Marathon in April in aid of the charity and will be joined by EastEnders stars including Jake Wood, Heather Pearce, Natalie Cassidy, John McIntyre and Lacey Turner.

Speaking about the two year anniversary of he death in December 2022 Mitchell told Good Morning Britain: "It's incredible. It's two years tomorrow. I still think she's gonna walk through the door.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Scott Mitchell poses with his medal after completing the Virgin London Marathon 2019 on April 28, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Scott Mitchell running the London Marathon for Alzheimers Research UK in 2019. (Getty Images)

"It's something deep inside me. I wake up some mornings thinking is she still okay.

"After 27 years I'm still in the early stages of grief and processing. I still think of the good times. That's a really good thing for me to go back.

"I lost my best friend. My other half. That's what I lost. That's why I still feel that sense now that she still is there with me. Sometimes feeling the loneliness that she's not there any more."

LONDON - NOVEMBER 28: Queen Elizabeth ll visits the set of the soap 'Eastenders
Dame Barbara Windsor with Queen Elizabeth ll on the set of EastEnders in 2001. (Getty Images)

Windsor was best known for her performance as Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders between 1994 and 2016. The actor had previously found fame in the Carry On movies and had a long panto career.

Read more: Barbara Windsor's husband blasts Boris Johnson for 'breaking' his dementia help vow

She and Mitchell worked with Alzheimer’s Research UK to raise funds and awareness of the condition after she went public with her diagnosis in 2018.

Watch: Scott Mitchell opens up on Dame Barbara Windsor's dementia and memory loss