Barbara Windsor’s widower says she’d be ‘so happy’ he’s found love with her co-star

Scott Mitchell, the widower of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, has revealed his wife would be 'so happy' he's found love again after confirming his new relationship with another EastEnders actress.

Scott, 60, was left devastated when he lost wife Barbara aged 83 in 2020 following her battle with Alzheimer's disease. After her death he devoted himself to fundraising for charity in her name – and in doing so formed a close bond– with another EastEnders star.

In July, Scott was reported to have found love with actress Tanya Franks, and since confirming the romance, Scott has opened up about how Barbara wouldn't want him to be "miserable or alone."

During Thursday's episode of Lorraine, Scott got candid as he chatted to the presenter about his 27-year long marriage with Barbara.

Speaking about how his late wife will always remain special to him, Scott told Lorraine: "Barbara will always hold an incredibly special part of my heart and my life. It was half of my life that I was with her literally!

"She was an incredible lady but me being miserable now or alone is not going to bring her back and she wouldn't want that.

"I know the one person who would be really happy for me is, Barbara Windsor."

Lorraine appeared thrilled as she agreed and said: "Ah that's fantastic, as are we!"

Scott recently confirmed his relationship with Tanya who appeared in the long-running BBC soap as Rainie Cross, for a few short stints between 2007 and 2015, but joined Albert Square full-time in 2018 until her character left in 2022.

Throughout her numerous appearances on EastEnders, Tanya formed a friendship with Barbara, which lasted until the Carry On star's death.

Scott spoke to This Morning hosts Dermot O'Leary and Holly Willoughby in September about Babs’ Army, the fundraising team he set up in the wake of his wife's death in December 2020, six years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Revealing that he met Tanya through this charity work, which saw the pair, and a number of other EastEnders stars, run the London Marathon in order to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

"We met the first year that we did the marathon" Scott began, "It's a very funny thing. I could not have picked two ladies who are more opposite, they are the polar opposites when it comes to talking about their personal life."

Scott continued: "Tanya is an incredible lady, but she believes that her personal relationships are not something that she wishes to discuss. I respect that.

And although he didn't delve any further into their relationship, he did add: "We did meet through running and we still do run together."

The pair were then photographed together looking happier than ever in London's Marleybone, where they are believed to be living together.

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