BARBARA’S BIGGEST BATTLE
ROSS KEMP on his friend and former co-star DAME BARBARA WINDSOR’S struggle with dementia
ROSS KEMP AND Dame Barbara Windsor forged a memorable TV partnership playing hard man Grant Mitchell and his formidable mum Peggy in Eastenders – and became close friends off screen.
Now, Dame Barbara’s battle with Alzheimer’s, following her diagnosis in 2014, has inspired Kemp to make a documentary about dementia, in which her husband Scott explains how the disease has changed their lives.
‘Scott gives a very honest appraisal of what’s happening and what the future holds,’ says Kemp, who became a documentary film-maker after leaving the soap. ‘I was welling up, because it was so heartbreaking.’
Alzheimer’s attacks the mental faculties, and Kemp remembers that one of the first things that struck him about the former
Carry On star was her sharp mind.
‘She has a rapier wit,’ he smiles. ‘Woe betide anyone who got on the wrong side of her, because they ended up getting told – but usually in a humorous way.’
He admits he has seen a significant deterioration in his friend since she was diagnosed. ‘The last time I saw her, she recognised me when I walked in,’ he recalls. ‘But after five minutes she didn’t know who I was.’
Looking through photo albums with Scott took Kemp on a trip down memory lane to his time with Dame Barbara in Albert Square.
‘I’m still bald, but much youngerlooking!’ he laughs. ‘I remember walking with her on to the set on her first day. She said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” and promptly threw up! It was the start of a friendship that has endured.’
Kemp’s friendships with Dame Barbara and Scott were a key factor in getting them on board for the programme, he adds.
‘Scott trusts me to be fair and honest,’ he explains. ‘We both love Barbara, but she’s been the love of his life for the past 30 years. So it’s a testament to him that he agreed to get involved.’