Barbara Windsor and Scott’s inspirational love story just like real life movie

Barbara Windsor was in her fifties when she met twenty-something Scott Mitchell and started a fairytale love affair that could have been ripped from the script of a Hollywood movie.

The EastEnders legend, who died yesterday aged 83, first met actor-turned-recruitment consultant Scott, 57, back in 1992.

Scott was trying his hand in the world of showbiz, appearing in shows such as Goodnight Sweetheart and Kavanagh QC before stepping out of the spotlight.

Barbara was 55 and Scott was 29 when they first met.

In scenes which could have been written for the movies, Scott first laid eyes on her when he was asked to give her a lift to his parents house for dinner.

The actress was friends with his mum and dad so Scott had been tasked with picking her up and driving her over to their home for a get together.

During the car ride, they chatted away and Barbara told him: "You're a very smart young man."

However, the time was not right for romance as Barbara was still married to her second husband Stephen Hollings at the time.

However, she kept in touch with Scott and even helped him out by putting him forward for an acting role.

Barbara insisted he was no more than a friend at the time, adding: "A charming, intelligent and attractive friend, admittedly."

After her marriage to Stephen hit the rocks, she ended up going out for dinner with Scott and their relationship turned romantic.

She left her husband for Scott and their whirlwind romance turned serious.

In her book All of Me An Extraordinary Life, Barbara shared the moment their friendship blossomed into romance - and it left her feeling like Anne Bancroft's character in movie The Graduate.

She wrote: "At dinner with friends one night, we were very tipsy and I was happier than I'd been for ages.

"Suddenly I grabbed Scott's hand and started running along Marylebone Lane, giggling like a naughty schoolgirl.

"We both knew deep feelings were stirring. I sensed it was serious when I did something out of character: I rang Scott and invited him out. I felt like Mrs Robinson in The Graduate."

She also admitted they had discussed the age gap between them and resolved that it would not affect their relationship.

She wrote: "We did discuss the age gap, but agreed it would be more of a problem for other people than for us."

Scott previously opened up about the romance and admitted some people thought he was a gold digger at first due to the age gap.

However, he was actually the one who supported Barbara during the years after her divorce when she was struggling with money troubles.

He told The Sun: "Little did they know that after the breakdown of Bar’s second marriage, she was £1million in debt and we were talking about her coming to live in my two-bed flat."

They married in 2000 after eight years of dating, tying the knot in secret at the Dorchester hotel in London with just three witnesses.

It was the third marriage for the actress and she described it as "the happiest day of my life" and admitted she couldn't stop crying with joy.

The relationship thrived and her career took off again as Barbara soared to the height of her EastEnders fame with her role as Peggy Mitchell.

Scott accompanied her to showbiz events and charity dos and they regularly enjoyed lavish holidays together, jetting off to sun-soaked spots including Barbados.

Scott was also by her side during the bad times, supporting her throughout her battle with the Epstein–Barr virus, which forced her to take an extended break from the BBC One soap.

She returned but left the soap in 2010, making a handful of appearances before her final scenes in 2016.

In 2018, Scott went public with Barbara's Alzheimer's diagnosis, revealing she'd been secretly battling the illness for four years.

Despite her struggles, devoted husband Scott stayed by her side.

Confirming her sad death, which came at 8.35pm on Thursday at a London care home, Scott said: "Her passing was from Alzheimer's/dementia and Barbara eventually died peacefully and I spent the last seven days by her side.

"Myself, her family and friends will remember Barbara with love, a smile and affection for the many years of her love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives and the entertainment she gave to so many thousands of others during her career.

"Barbara's final weeks were typical of how she lived her life. Full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end.

"It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve.

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