EastEnders' Tanya Franks on her 'beautiful' scenes with Barbara Windsor

14 July 2023 , 10:07

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Away from the Walford set, Tanya and Barbara had a close friendship

Actress Tanya Franks described her scenes with the late Barbara Windsor as 'beautiful' as she paid tribute to the soap icon three years ago.

This week it was revealed that Tanya is now in a romance with Barbara's widower Scott Mitchell.

Tanya shared a close relationship with Scott for years, with the pair uniting in the battle to raise awareness of Alzheimer's - which Barbara and Tanya's father were both fighting.

Tanya joined EastEnders in 2007 as Max Branning's troubled sister Rainie Cross and had brief stints on the BBC show from 2007 to 2008, 2010 to 2011, 2014 to 2015.

And in 2018, the actress signed up full-time before leaving Albert Square in 2022 with her husband Stewart Highway and their son Roland.

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Meanwhile, Barbara Windsor played the iconic Peggy Mitchell – first appearing on screens from 1991. Queen Vic landlady Peggy then returned in 1994 and had a permanent role until 2010.

Peggy and Rainie were both on the BBC soap at the same time and Rainie even had a storyline with Peggy's son Phil, which saw him become addicted to crack cocaine.

Away from the Walford set, Tanya and Barbara had a close friendship (Instagram/ @tanyafranksruns)

Away from the Walford set, Tanya, 55, and Barbara had a friendship and following Barbara's tragic death in 2020, she shared a heartfelt tribute to the Albert Square matriarch on social media.

Next to a photo of the two of them, she wrote: "Barbara and me discussing which cake to eat first! Today started with a tribute on @bbcmorninglive and then 14 regional radios with @alzheimersresearchuk My last two years spending time with our dear Dame has been beautiful. #rip".

The actress was inundated with messages from her followers as they shared their grief over Barbara's passing.

One person wrote: "Such a cruel disease. So sad that she had to suffer through it. But lovely that she had you to visit and eat cake with. She was such a treasure X"

"Gosh Tanya, what precious memories and stories you must have," added another follower.

While someone else penned: "A light has gone out."

It was revealed this week that Tanya and Scott Mitchell, 60, Barbara Windsor's widower, have found love together.

Scott is said to have fallen for the EastEnders star three years on from the death of his beloved wife.

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According to a source, Scott is believed to be "truly happy", previously fearing he might "never find another".

The new couple bonded over their commitment to running the London Marathon in support of dementia research, after Dame Barbara discovered she was suffering from Alzheimer's in 2014.

Speaking of finding love again, Scott told The Sun: "Life feels really good right now and we are enjoying some special time together."

A source also told the newspaper: "His and Barbara’s friends are delighted he’s found someone to share his life with. It’s fairly early days but Scott is cautiously now looking forward to the future. They made the decision to update their wider circles while on holiday in Greece and everyone was over the moon."

The source added that the new couple are "taking things slowly" but there's "so much friendship and respect".

Bab's Army – with Scott and Tanya seen here – have been raising money for dementia research by running the London Marathon (@tanyafranksruns/Instagram)

Tanya also has a tragic link to Alzheimer's as her stepdad Derek was diagnosed with dementia.

In 2020 she ran the London Marathon alongside Scott and fellow EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy. Explaining on her JustGiving page at the time, the Rainie Cross actress revealed Derek had been living with Alzheimer's disease for seven years and and her mum Anne is his full-time carer.

She also stated: "Derek and the 850,000 people living with dementia and Alzheimer's just have to adapt as their capabilities decrease and confusion takes over.

"The carers' responsibilities increase, with my Mum it has become 24/7, and it becomes more lonely and difficult as the disease and time progresses."

This year, the Bab's Army – including Tanya and Scott – ran the London Marathon once again, which Tanya completed in six hours and 15 minutes, marking her third marathon.

Eve Wagstaff