My tragic pal Barbara can recall all of her Carry On film jokes reveals Biggins
Ruth McKee
BRAVE Dame BarbaraWindsor can still remember every joke she made in the Carry On films almost half a century ago, a celebrity pal has revealed
The 82-year-old is battling dementia, but friends and family were shocked when she rattled off a series of skits during a family lunch at her home.
Babs, who was diagnosed with the condition six years ago, also entertained her loved ones by performing a string of classic show tunes during the meal.
Her close friend Christopher Biggins, revealed that the plucky cockney sparrow is still enjoying life.
The veteran actor revealed: “I had lunch with Barbara recently. She’s fantastic. We laugh a lot. She’s great on the past too.
“She can remember all her Carry On jokes and also songs from the old-time music hall. The other day, she sang to me, The Boy I Love Is Up In The Gallery.”
But he admitted that she struggles with remembering more recent events as the illness ravages her mind.
Biggins told Best magazine “it’s not so good” when she makes an effort to remember things from day-to-day.
His comments follow Dame Barbara’s devoted husband Scott Mitchell, 56, saying that Alzheimer’s means she can no longer recognise her home.
He added: “I’ve definitely seen a progression in the last year.
“Barbara’s symptoms have deepened, especially where her confusion is concerned. Constantly, she does not realise where we are, even in the house.
“She will ask me, ‘When are we going home?’ ”
Earlier this year, during a rare public appearance, Dame Barbara called dementia a “cruel illness”.
In a video message for Good Morning Britain’s One Million Minutes Awards, the star named Danny Brown as the winner of the inaugural Dame Barbara Windsor Award – an accolade for someone who has helped dementia sufferers to combat loneliness.
Babs told him: “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 to bring your community together, but brought much-needed attention to the valuable cause. Doing all this at the same time as living with dementia yourself is truly inspirational.”
Danny had been diagnosed in 2014 and had made plans to end his life.
Dame Barbara is also an ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society, which is pushing for an NHS Dementia Fund to prevent families facing financial ruin.
Barbara starring with Jimmy Logan in Carry On Abroad and, right, with her devoted husband Scott Barbara With Jim Dale and Hattie Jacques in Carry On Again Doctor. Left, in Carry On Camping and, below, a Carry On Again Doctor scene with Sid James