Scott Mitchell, the husband of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, has confirmed he has split from BBC star Tanya Franks after three years together. The couple began dating in 2023, three years after Dame Barbara died from Alzheimer's disease aged 83 in 2020.
Emotional statement confirms separation
Scott issued an emotional statement confirming their separation. "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."
Tanya Franks played Rainie Cross on the BBC soap on and off for 15 years. Following Barbara's death, Scott teamed up with her 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 raising money for her stepfather Derek, who also suffered from the same terminal disease.
Scott previously defended their relationship
Scott previously defended their relationship, insisting Barbara would have been supportive of their romance. "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.
He went on: "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."
Marriage to Dame Barbara Windsor
Scott and Barbara married on April 8, 2000, and he was the actress's third husband. They first met in 1992 when she was 55 and he was 28, an age gap of 27 years.
Dame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014, and her husband Scott had been caring for her until her death in 2020.
