‘Sorry, who are you?’ Babs’s question to brokenhearted hubby
– the words that broke Babs’s hubby’s heart As Dame Barbara Windsor battles Alzheimer’s, she is leaning ever more on her devoted husband Scott…
He’s been her rock for over 25 years, and never more so than since her devastating Alzheimer’s diagnosis. And tragically, Scott Mitchell, the husband of Dame Barbara Windsor, 81, last week revealed the heartbreaking news that the disease is now so advanced the actress sometimes no longer recognises him.
‘I was helping her out of the bath and she suddenly looked at me, very scared, and said, “Sorry, who are you?” admitted Scott. ‘There’s no words that can describe it.’
Speaking on GMB to Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan, Scott, 56, explained, ‘Over the last two weeks, her confusion has got really bad. I spend a lot of time explaining where we are – she has a lot of trouble identifying our house.
‘She’ll ask, “Are we staying here tonight?” or, “Have we got clothes here?” That’s the reality of what people living with dementia are going through, and those around them.’
Scott and Barbara married in 2000, after meeting in 1992 – when she was 55 and he was 28. It was the third time up the aisle for Babs, and there were whispers that the union wouldn’t last– not least due to the age gap. But the lovebirds defied the gossips to form one of the strongest unions in showbiz.
Scott finally went public with the news Barbara was suffering from Alzheimer’s in May 2018. He took the decision to help both Barbara, who was diagnosed in 2014, and other families suffering from the cruel condition.
Concerns have grown about Barbara’s health, especially after her close pal Christopher Biggins revealed she had a pacemaker fitted in August, following a collapse at home. But fans were delighted to see her out and about at Christmas, attending a party, and a panto, looking well and beaming on Scott’s arm.
‘She gets herself together for moments like that,’ he revealed. ‘Something happens to Barbara when she’s out. It’s like her old self comes out.’
Tragically, Scott admitted it’s ‘inevitable’ that Barbara will eventually forget who he is entirely. In the meantime, he is spending precious time with his wife, who he says still has her ‘ humour, wit and care’. And clearly, she still has her devoted husband to lean on – in sickness, and in health.
‘Her confusion is really bad – I spend a lot of time explaining where we are’