Dame Barbara says turning 80 is ‘daft’ ahead of TV life story

DAME BARBARA Windsor has described turning 80 as “daft” in the lead-up to her milestone birthday this year.

The former EastEnders star claimed that she had reached a happy place in her life, but told how the later stages of her career had come with certain challenges.

Being made a Dame in 2015, she said, was a particular shock to the system.

She added: “It’s really daft to be 80, isn’t it? I am in a good place in my life; I’ve got a great husband (Scott Mitchell), I am still working and the fact that I can do all my charities is good.

“It’s a bit difficult now I am a Dame and I have to watch how I behave... God was that a shock.”

As she prepares to mark her 80th in August, the singer and actress has contributed to a BBC One film recounting her rise to fame before joining the soap for what was to become a 22-year stint as the famous character of Peggy.

Set to be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday, Babs delves into the darker corners of her personal life, including her turbulent relationship with her parents and her rocky marriage to her first husband, Ronnie Knight. “I hope people will understand a bit more how and why those things happened,” she said. “I am a nice lady, I don’t know what I have done that’s wrong – I’m ashamed of some of the mistakes I’ve made, but it would be different if it was now.” The film was directed by Tony Jordan, with Jaime Winstone starring as the younger Dame Barbara and Samantha Spiro portraying her in her 50s. The film follows her story from the day she first dazzled stage directors at the age of six, through to her introduction to the West End, Broadway, and the famous Carry On films. She admitted that the world of showbusiness has changed dramatically since she got her first job at the age of just 13, claiming today’s youth do not have to contend with such strict regimes from directors.