Christopher Biggins reveals heartbreak over Barbara Windsor’s Alzheimer’s as he reveals she repeats questions ‘eight or nine’ times
15 August 2019, 16:18
EastEnders legend Barbara Windsor went public with her Alzheimer’s diagnosis last year, and now, her close friend Christopher Biggins has opened up about the sadness it causes him.
Barbara Windsor was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in April 2014, but only went public with the news last year.
The Carry On actress has been spending time with her close friend Christopher Biggins, who she met when they starred in Guys and Dolls together.
Now, Christopher has revealed that Barbara will repeat questions “eight or nine times” on occasions, as her condition worsens.
Talking to The Mirror, Christopher said: “When I’m with Barbara, I don’t have sadness or tears because she would see that and I don’t want her to. So I’m always upbeat with her.
“The last time I had lunch with her was three weeks ago.
“She looked wonderful, she had tremendous energy and we laughed a lot. But she asked me ‘what are you doing?’ eight or nine times because she’d forgotten my answer.”
He went on: “It’s such an open, caring question and typical of her.
“Forgetting my answers each time was very sad. But I’d only show that sadness after I’d left her.”
The news comes shortly after Barbara’s husband revealed that his wife often forgets where they live or that they are married.
Talking to The Sun, Scott said: “A lot of it is that she doesn't know our location, which is our normal home.
"She'll constantly say 'when are we going home'. I'm either the centre of her being, or other times she'll look at me and ask if we're married.”
While Barbara is currently on medication to help manage the Alzheimers, the nature of the disease will see the actress slowly lose memories.
Recently, Barbara called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to solve the dementia care crisis in an open letter.
The actress signed an open letter to the new Prime Minister demanding action on the “inadequate, unfair and unsustainable” system.
Joining up with charity Alzheimer’s Society, Barbara and her husband Scott Mitchell, 56, also appear in a video calling on the government to invest £2.4billion to overhaul dementia care.
