Dame Barbara Windsor won’t watch her husband Scott Mitchell cross the finish line at the London Marathon on Sunday (28.04.19).
The 81-year-old actress was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, and her spouse Scott is running the annual event, alongside several of her former ‘EastEnders’ co-stars, to raise awareness for the charity Dementia Revolution, which was launched by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
But Scott, 56, says his wife will not be able to watch him participate in the run because it will be "overwhelming" and he won’t be there if she has a "confused moment".
Speaking ‘Good Morning Britain’, Scott said: "At the beginning I was really hoping that [she could attend], but after having a couple of meetings with various people, the logistics of it, I’ve had a really serious think and I think it’s best that she’s not there.
"I think it would get very overwhelming for her, everyone would want to give her a hug. I won’t be there for her if there’s one of those confused moments.
"I just think it would be better for her own wellbeing if she’s at home."
But Scott admitted the ‘EastEnders’ legend – who played Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell – mostly suffers her "confused moments" during the evenings.
He added: "One of the things I’ve noticed is the evenings are always worse.
"I’ve become a focal point for her in the confused moments and she says, ‘As long as I can see you I know something is OK.
"Sometimes you’re having a normal conversation and I’ll be laughing and then it goes out of your mind that something is wrong."
The ‘Carry On’ star started to learn she was having problems around the time she was leaving the popular series in 2010.
He added: "It was around the time she was leaving ‘EastEnders’, she was starting to have problems with her lines.
"And I noticed a change in Barbara, her personality. There was a slight seriousness and a slight vacant look at times which wasn’t her."