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Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell has said he is “deeply hurt” by the backlash to his new relationship with EastEnders actor Tanya Franks.
Peggy Mitchell star Windsor died in 2020 aged 83, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease six years earlier. Mitchell, 62, who married Windsor in 2000, became her full-time carer and met Franks, 58, who played Rainie Cross in the BBC soap, through his fundraising work for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
The pair became close during that time, and their friendship turned into a romance after Windsor’s death. He confirmed the relationship in 2023 – but he soon faced negative comments, which he has reflected upon in a new interview.
“There’s always that person who says, ‘That was quick,’” he told The Mirror.
“It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and cast judgement, especially with social media. These people forget that their words can really hurt.”
Mitchell said Windsor would have approved of the relationship, and that Franks allows him to talk about the star anytime he needs to.
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Scott Mitchell was Barbara Windsor’s full-time carer from 2014 to her death in 2020 (Getty Images)
He added that Franks can relate to his experience of having a loved one with Alzheimer’s because her stepfather died from the disease in 2024, so he is “never second-guessing if the moment’s right”.
“If I thought any of it hurt her, I wouldn’t do it,” he said.
Franks has made guest appearances on EastEnders since 2007, playing Rainie Cross, the sister of Jo Joyner’s Tanya Branning. She also starred in Sharon Horgan’s sitcom Pulling.
Speaking on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, Mitchell said in May that, although some people might think that he has “moved on too fast” after Windsor’s death, she “never” wanted him to be alone.
“I would like to believe she would be happy that someone was there by my side and that I wasn’t on my own,” he told Thornton. “She always used to say to me, ‘I never want you to be on your own.’”
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Scott Mitchell went public with Tanya Franks relationship in 2023 (YouTube)
He previously said he thinks “how dare you” when people question his relationship with Franks as “people don’t know the pain” or “what the grief has been”.
“I don’t think anyone ever gets over a loss of someone they love so deeply. I think we find ways of carrying them with us, and that’s what I try to do every day.”
He said of the relationship during a joint appearance with Franks on This Morning: “We forged an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it. The exact opposite of what dementia is.
“I’m very fortunate that I have a partner who doesn’t mind me speaking about my late wife.”
Franks said: “I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.”
