Scott Mitchell: who is Barbara Windsor's husband, how old is he and when was their wedding?

Dame Barbara Windsor has died aged 83 after a long battle with dementia, with her husband Scott Mitchell by her side.

The EastEnders and Carry On films actress passed away “peacefully” in her London care home on 10 December.

Scott was Barbara’s third husband, after chef Stephen Hollings and gangster Ronnie Knight, an associate of the infamous Kray twins.

So, who is Scott Mitchell, how did the couple meet, and how long were they married?

Who is Scott Mitchell?

Scott, 57, is the former actor and recruitment consultant who was married to Barbara for 20 years.

He appeared in a variety of shows such as Goodnight Sweetheart and Kavanagh QC before opting for a less-public life.

He is the son of one of the actress’s friends, and there was a 26-year-age gap between the two.

Barbara was still married to her second husband, Stephen Hollings, when she met Scott.

How did they meet?

The pair met back in 1992, when Barbara was in her 50s and Scott in his late 20s.

Their first meeting came when Scott was asked to give her a lift to his parents’, who Barbara was friends with, for a dinner party.

Barbara has said they got on well during the ride although she was only able to keep in touch with Scott as friends as she was still married to Stephen.

When did the relationship turn serious?

Barbara’s marriage to Stephen turned sour, and it was during a dinner with Scott and friends that she realised they were more than friends.

In her book, All of Me An Extraordinary Life, the actress details how the serious relationship began.

She reminisced: "At dinner with friends one night, we were very tipsy and I was happier than I'd been for ages.

"Suddenly I grabbed Scott's hand and started running along Marylebone Lane, giggling like a naughty schoolgirl.

"We both knew deep feelings were stirring. I sensed it was serious when I did something out of character: I rang Scott and invited him out. I felt like Mrs Robinson in The Graduate."

The pair discussed their large age gap, but agreed it was something other people could worry about and it would not come between their romance.

When their relationship went public, Scott has said people suspected he was a gold digger - but Barbara had actually been in a lot of debt at the time due to the breakdown of her marriage with Stephen.

When did Scott marry Barbara?

Scott and Barbara married in 2000, after going out for eight years.

They had a secret wedding at the Dorchester hotel in London, accompanied by only three witnesses.

Barbara has said it was “the happiest day of [her] life” and that she could not stop crying during the celebration.

What has he said about Barbara's death?

After many happy years of marriage, Scott went public with Barbara’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2018.

He revealed she had been ill for four years.

In summer this year, Scott was advised by Barbara’s neurologist to place her in a residential care home as her disease became gradually worse.

Scott was with his wife in her care home as she passed away on 10 December, 2020, at 8:35pm.

He made an emotional tribute to the actress afterwards, who he called his “precious Bar” and his “wife, best friend and soulmate”.

Scott said: "Myself, her family and friends will remember Barbara with love, a smile and affection for the many years of her love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives and the entertainment she gave to so many thousands of others during her career,” he said.

"Barbara's final weeks were typical of how she lived her life. Full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end.

"It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve.

“I will always be immensely proud of Barbara's courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could."