▲How many Brits grew up with Barbara Windsor? Every day, millions would watch Windsor as the lovable Peggy Mitchell in ‘EastEnders’. Before that, Barbara was both hilarious and seductive in iconic ‘Carry On’ films through the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sadly, the magnificent actress has been struggling with Alzheimer's, according to her husband Scott Mitchell. She’s such a joy on-screen and off-screen, that it’s time to give Windsor her flowers while she’s here. Click on to follow the incredible life story of Barbara Windsor.

▲The actress was born Barbara Deeks in Shoreditch, London in 1937.

▲Windsor’s mom paid for the true cockney to have elocution lessons while at school.

▲Windsor perfected her speaking and acting at Aida Foster School. There, she made her stage debut at the age of 13.

▲Two years later, Windsor made her West End debut. She starred in the musical ‘Love From Judy.’

▲A year later, Deeks changed her name to Barbara Windsor. She was apparently inspired by the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

▲Windsor’s first film was ‘The Belles of St Trinian’s’ in 1954. She played a minor, uncredited role, but it was an essential step for the young actress.

▲Soon after, Windsor joined the Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal. This helped her score roles in musical ‘Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be.’ She also starred in the film ‘Sparrows Can’t Sing,’ which was nominated for a BAFTA Award.

▲Windsor was on a winning streak. Throughout the 1960s, she won audiences over in ‘The Rag Trade’ and ‘Wild, Wild Women.’

▲Around this time, Windsor had a special relationship with the Kray brothers that was both intimate and infamous.

▲She reportedly had a fleeting encounter with Reggie Kray (right), and a longer relationship with his brother, Charlie (center).

▲She married Ronnie Knight in 1964. Knight was a notorious London gangster who was implicated in a murder case and fled to Spain after involvement in an armed robbery in East London.

▲Windsor joined the ‘Carry On’ franchise in 1964, when she starred in the film ‘Carry On Spying.’

▲During her marriage, Windsor had a highly publicized affair with 'Carry On' co-star Sid James.

▲One of her most famous scenes was in ‘Carry On Camping.’ While doing aerobic exercises, her bikini top comes undone, shocking co-stars and audiences alike.

▲In 1965, Windsor won her first Tony Award nomination for her performance in ‘Oh, What a Lovely War!’

▲During this period, she reportedly had a number of flings with famous figures, including legendary soccer player George Best.

▲Windsor was a rising star in her 20s, but things weren’t all glitz and glamour. She later revealed that she had several abortions around this time.

▲In the early 1970s, Windsor toured the West End with the ‘Carry On’ team.

▲The ‘Carry On’ chaos came to an end in the ‘70s. Her last film in the franchise was ‘Carry On Dick,’ and she made her last ‘Carry On...’ TV appearance in 1977.

▲But her own show, ‘Carry On Barbara!’ toured widely, including the UK, South Africa, and New Zealand.

▲In 1985 she divorced her first husband, Ronnie, after 21 years.

▲Windsor went on to marry chef Stephen Hollings in Jamaica a year later. They divorced in 1995.

▲‘EastEnders’ was launched in the mid-1980s, but producers didn’t want well-known actors stealing the scene. By 1994, this had changed, and Windsor took over the role of Peggy Mitchell from Jo Warne.

▲The role was perfect for Barbara, and Peggy Mitchell became a staple in the soap.

▲Her performance was well-received by audiences and critics alike. She won the Best Actress award at the 1999 British Soap Awards.

▲Winsor received an MBE at the 2000 New Year Honors.

▲The same year, she married her third husband, Scott Mitchell.

▲Barbara was forced to step down from her ‘EastEnders’ role for two years, between 2003 and 2005, after contracting the Epstein-Barr virus. After recovering, she returned to the soap in mid-2005.

▲In 2009, she said she wanted to step down from ‘EastEnders’ to spend more time with her husband. She left the show in 2010, returning for a few one-off episodes. Her last episode was aired on May 17, 2016.

▲In 2010, the actress played the Dormouse in ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Director Tim Burton was apparently an ‘EastEnders’ fan.

▲Windsor was made a DBE in 2016 in recognition of her charitable work and her career in entertainment.

▲Last year, Windsor was the subject of BBC biopic ‘Babs.’ She was played by Jaime Winstone.

▲

On May 10, 2018, husband Scott Mitchell announced that Windsor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Barbara Windsor: celebrating the life of a British icon

Husband Scott Mitchell opens up about Windsor's health struggles

28/03/19 por StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Obituary

How many Brits grew up with Barbara Windsor? Every day, millions would watch Windsor as the lovable Peggy Mitchell in ‘EastEnders’. Before that, Barbara was both hilarious and seductive in iconic ‘Carry On’ films through the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sadly, the magnificent actress has been struggling with Alzheimer's, according to her husband Scott Mitchell. She’s such a joy on-screen and off-screen, that it’s time to give Windsor her flowers while she’s here. Click on to follow the incredible life story of Barbara Windsor.