Barbara Windsor calls Alzheimer's a 'cruel disease' in rare appearance
Barbara was diagnosed with the disease in 2014
Last updated 24th Jan 2020
She's been battling the illness since 2014, and now EastEnders legend Dame Barbara Windsor has branded Alzheimer's a 'cruel disease'' in a touching video message on Good Morning Britain.
Barbara, who played the role of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap, appeared on the breakfast show this morning (Friday 24th January) to send a special video message to a man called Danny Brown, who won the 'Dame Barbara Windsor Award' at Good Morning Britain's 1 Million Minutes Awards.
Appearing on the screen in a pre-recorded message, 82-year-old Barbara told Danny, "Volunteers like you are so important in the fight against loneliness, especially for those like us, who know all too well the struggles of a cruel illness.
"Your dedication to helping others has not only helped bring your community together, but brought much-needed attention to the valuable cause. And doing all this at the same time as living with dementia yourself, is truly inspirational. Thank you Danny, and congratulations again. God bless."
Barbara's husband Scott Mitchell first revealed his wife has been living with Alzheimer's in 2018, admitting due to 'definite continual confusion' setting in, Barbara's symptoms were a lot harder to hide.
Scott, who has been married to Barbara since 2000, revealed he wanted to make Barbara's illness public to help other families dealing with the same situation. The 57-year-old also confirmed that his wife gave him her blessing to tell her adoring fans about her diagnosis.
According to the Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer's disease is 'the most common cause of dementia. The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that can include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language'.
Over 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, with the numbers expected to rise to over 1 million by 2025.