BARBARA WINDSOR HEART OP
She has pacemaker fitted after ‘reacting to Alzheimer’s drug’
DAME Barbara Windsor has had a heart operation after collapsing at her home following complications with her Alzheimer’s medication.
Friend Christopher Biggins revealed the 81-year-old actress had a pacemaker fitted during an eight-day stay in hospital.
Husband Scott Mitchell, 55, said the former EastEnders star was now recuperating.
‘She’s looking forward to getting out on the town again soon,’ he told the Sun.
Mr Mitchell has been looking after his wife of 25 years at home since she was discharged last month. He added: ‘Barbara was suffering from a low heart rate which doctors thought was being caused by some of her medication.
‘She was getting very dizzy and short of breath and fainted one day at home, so she had an eightday hospital spell about four weeks ago and they’ve put in a pacemaker for her.
‘But she’s recovering really well and is looking forward to getting out on the town again soon.’ Dame Barbara’s heart specialist Dr Rodney Foale said she was ‘doing very well’.
Fellow actor Biggins, 69, revealed his close friend could be well enough to socialise as early as next week.
He said: ‘I spoke to her last week and I’m going to see her next week. We’re going to go out. She likes to go out because she spends a lot of time indoors. She loves The Ivy restaurant. She lives in Marylebone, so there’s lots of lovely restaurants there.’
The former Carry On actress was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in April 2014, but only went public about her condition in May this year.
She joined the cast of EastEnders in 1994, and won the 1999 British Soap Award for Best Actress playing Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell before finally leaving the show in 2016.