Barbara Windsor’s widower Natalie Cassidy and Scott Mitchell are running the London Marathon in honor of the late EastEnders star.
Barbara died aged 83 in 2020 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s – and now some of her EastEnders co-stars and Scott, 60, are walking the 26.2 miles in her memory.
Natalie, Jake Wood, Heather Pearce, John McIntyre and Lacey Turner are among the cast taking on the challenge as Bab’s Army in April.
They are raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK and remembering Barbara.
Natalie said in Lorraine on Thursday: “We ran a half marathon on Saturday. We all have a WhatsApp group and support each other.”
Touching tribute: Natalie Cassidy and Scott Mitchell, Barbara Windsor’s widower, spoke about running the London Marathon for Alzheimer’s UK on Thursday
Tribute: Barbara died aged 83 in 2020 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s – and now some of her EastEnders co-stars and Scott (pictured) are running the 26.2 miles in her memory
Scott said: “I recently ran 16 miles with Jake Wood. I am so lucky to have these incredible friends who will do this with me. It’s for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”
He continued, “I know three people right now who are going through loved ones struggling with the disease. That’s why we’re doing it. We’re doing it for them.”
Natalie also revealed that she was very close to Barbara, who played Peggy Mitchell, saying: “I feel so privileged to have been in the soap when she was there.”
“She showed me the tricks of the trade. She taught me how to be.’
It comes after Scott shared the poignant words his late wife said to him shortly before her death two years ago.
In an interview with Best magazine, the actor reflected on his grief and said that now is the time to think about his future as Barbara would have wanted.
Scott spoke candidly about his two-year grief, admitting that things are “getting better,” and the sweet words Barbara shared with him before her death.
He told Best: “Before she died, Barbara told me to cry, be sad and then have the best time. Knowing Barbara, she would have married another cute 25-year-old by now!’
Challenge: Natalie (pictured), Jake Wood, Heather Pearce, John McIntyre and Lacey Turner are among the cast taking on the April challenge as “Bab’s Army”.
Scott went on to say that while Barbara will always be important to him, it’s time to think about his future and said he’s open to what’s next in life.
He said: “Now is the time to think about me and my future. Barbara will always be a big part of my life, but she wishes I could move on.”
His latest comments come after Scott recently claimed people viciously accused him of using the drag legend, who was 26 years his senior, for their money.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain in December, Scott said Barbara was actually £1 million in debt when the couple first met.
Scott, who began his relationship with the soap star when she was 63 and he was 27, said: “She was a million pounds in debt when we met. I must have been the worst prospector in the world. Am I really wrong?’.
“They all thought who is this man who is this unknown actor. They thought I had ended the marriage [her second]. They called me a gold digger.’
After Barbara’s death, Scott received £4.6 million in her will, and the star also made donations to various charities.
The legendary actress was married three times in her life, first to Ronnie Knight in 1964 and then to Stephen Hollings for nine years before divorcing in 1995.
Scott continued to reflect on Barbara’s death, saying: “It’s unbelievable. It’s been two years tomorrow. I still think she’ll walk through the door.
Life: It comes after Scott shared the poignant words his late wife said to him two years ago shortly before her death (pictured together in 2019)
“There is something deep inside me. I wake up some mornings and I think she’s still fine.”
“After 27 years I am still in the early stages of mourning and coming to terms. I still think about the good times. It’s a very good thing for me to go back.
‘I lost my best friend. my partner I lost it. So now I still feel like she is still with me. Sometimes I feel the loneliness of not being there anymore.
Scott went on to talk about his twenty year marriage through his book titled By Your Side: My Life Loving Barbara Windsor.
‘His [Barbara] predicted it [the book]. She said they will ask you to write a book one day when I am gone. She told you to do it and be completely honest.
“I learned a lot about life and love from Barbara.”
It was revealed last year that she left £4.6 million in her will, but also donated £1,000 each to seven different charities, according to The Sun.
Barbara also left 85-year-old Anna Karen – who played Peggy Mitchell’s sister Aunt Sal in EastEnders – £1,000.
The paper adds that £5,000 has been left to Barbara’s sister-in-law Marsha Alexander and her husband Laurence. £2,000 went to her cousins Leslie Larsen and Julie Elliot.
NSPCC, Breast Cancer Care, Help The Aged, Grand Order Of Lady Ratlings, National Osteoporosis Society, Headley Court (a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers) and Age UK were the seven charities to which Barbara donated £1,000 each.
Scott received the remainder of Barbara’s £4.63m estate.
Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 and kept her battle with the disease a secret for four years.
Barbara’s last TV role was in her own biopic, which chronicled her humble beginnings in Shoreditch until 1993, with Jaime Winstone and Samantha Spiro playing the star at various points in her life.
Read the full interview with Scott Mitchell in the new issue of best Magazine, on sale now.
Source link
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
