Let’s take a stand against dementia, urges Barbara Windsor

♦ Dame Barbara Windsor has urged Britain to “take a stand” against dementia as she appeared in a video to speak publicly about her illness.

The former Carry On and Eastenders star, 81, who revealed she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in May, called on people to run next year’s London Marathon in aid of a campaign to raise funds and change attitudes towards the condition.

Wearing a blue Dementia Revolution T-shirt and her blonde hair up in a bun, she said: “I’m asking you to make a stand against dementia [and] support groundbreaking research to find a cure for a condition that affects so many people, like me.”

Scott Mitchell, her husband, announced he will run the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon for his wife and others who suffer from dementia.

He said: “The last few years have been really hard for both Barbara and me as we got used to the profound effect dementia has had on our lives,

“We kept her diagnosis quiet for so long and we were really nervous about going public with the news – but when we did, there was such an incredible reaction of love and support.”

The Dementia Revolution is a joint campaign by the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.