A warm, colourful and heartfelt tribute to Barbara Windsor's rich, varied and remarkable life from the man who knew her best.
'I'm so glad you had the life you did, Barbara. I'm sorry you can't remember, but my God, what a life! You haven't wasted a minute of it...'
In December 2020, while the world was gripped with news of an imminent third lockdown, Scott Mitchell was visiting the care home where his partner and wife of 27 years - Dame Barbara Windsor - was being looked after. At the age of 83, after a career spanning seven decades and a seven-year battle with the debilitating effects of dementia, she was slipping away.
Barbara's illness meant she could no longer remember her magical career, and so Scott sat by her bedside in her final days, telling her tales from their extraordinary life together. From the unlikely moment they met to the challenges they faced, and the highs and lows of a life shared in the limelight. For theirs was an incredibly passionate relationship, but also a turbulent one - and along with a life of love and laughter, together they endured the pressures of fame, drink and addiction, heartbreak and ultimately dementia. He told Barbara stories of her wonderful achievements on and off screen, and the people who altered the trajectory of her life. From nine enormously successful and much-loved Carry On films to more than twenty years in Albert Square with the role of Peggy Mitchell. From director Joan Littlewood handpicking her for Sparrows Can't Sing and her first husband Ronnie Knight and his links to the Kray twins, to her friendships with Sid James, Kenneth Williams and more.
Weaving together an old-fashioned love story, a glittering life of showbiz and the true cost of dementia, By Your Side is a treasure trove for all of us who grew up watching and loving Dame Barbara. From the madness and the mayhem, the glorious highs and the devastating lows, to the fantastic fun she and Scott had along the way - this is an intimate, honest and incredibly personal account of a life spent loving Babs.
Scott Mitchell was born in London and grew up in Hove, Sussex. He moved back to London at 25, studying for 3 years as an actor. After graduating and taking on various TV and theatre roles, Scott met his future wife, actress Dame Barbara Windsor, who he shared his life with for 27 years, before she passed away in 2020.
In 2014, Barbara was given the devastating news that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a day that would change both hers and Scott's lives forever. Although initially kept private, Scott and Barbara went public with the news in 2018. In 2019 Scott entered the London Marathon with a team of Barbara's friends, alongside charity campaign The Dementia Revolution, to raise vital funds for dementia research. To date it is the record-breaking charity partner for the London Marathon, raising over £4 million. Scott also ran the 2021 marathon to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK, a charity he is now an ambassador for.
