Dame Barbara Windsor’s widow Scott Mitchell has confirmed his split with EastEnders actress Tanya Franks after three years together.
Scott and Tanya – who played Rainie Cross on the BBC soap on-off for 15 years – confirmed their relationship in 2023, three years after the Peggy Mitchell actress died from Alzheimer’s disease aged 83 in 2020.
‘I can confirm Tanya and I had a couple of wonderful years together,’ Scott told The Sun.
‘In true respect of each other, we felt in April our relationship should evolve into a now incredible and kind friendship.
‘Tanya is also a highly private person. Out of respect for her, I will not be commenting any further on this matter.’
Following Windsor’s death, Scott teamed up with several of her former co-stars including Tanya to launch a new campaign, Babs’ Army, raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Tanya and Scott previously ran the London marathon together, with Tanya racing money for her stepfather Derek who also suffered from the same terminal disease.
Scott recently defended finding love again after his wife’s death, insisting that the soap star would have been supportive of his new relationship.
‘I would like to believe that she would be happy that someone was there by my side and that I wasn’t on my own. She always used to say to me, “I never want you to be on your own”‘, he said during a chat with Kate Thornton on the podcast White Wine Question Time.
Hitting back at critics who suggested he moved on too quickly, Scott said: ‘There was a bit of, “Oh he’s moved on too fast”. And you just think, “how dare you?”
‘People don’t know the pain. They don’t know what the grief has been.
‘I don’t think anyone ever gets over a loss of someone they love so deeply. I think we find ways of carrying them with us, and that’s what I try to do every day.’
Scott and Tanya previously appeared on This Morning together, where they revealed how they keep the memory of Windsor alive even between them still.
Scott said: ‘She (Barbara) will always be there and I am very fortunate to have a partner who doesn’t make me feel bad about talking about my late wife or keeping this memory alive and working together, we are both equally as passionate.’
Tanya added: ‘I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimers.’
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.