Barbara Windsor is doing "really well".
Barbara Windsor
The 81-year-old actress has been battling Alzheimer's disease since 2014 but she's still in good spirits and enjoying socialising and seeing her friends, who are impressed by the way she's retained her long-term memory, even though her short-term recall isn't great.
Her pal Paul O'Grady said: "Barbara is a sweetheart. We are in touch all the time. People write her off, but she's doing really well. She went to the panto the other night and to '42nd Street'.
"I ran into her and said, 'What's your mum's Co-op number, can you remember?'
"She told me then said, 'How the hell do we remember that?' I said, 'Do you remember me?'And she said, 'You're hard to ever forget.' "
The 'For the Love of Dogs' star admitted the 'Carry On' actress sometimes repeats herself because she's forgotten what she's said, but her friends and family take it in their stride and continue their conversation as normal.
He told the Sun on Sunday newspaper: "If she does repeat herself, you just answer it and carry on like you haven't heard it before."
Barbara's husband, Scott Mitchell - who went public with her illness earlier this year - recently recalled the emotional moment when the British star was diagnosed by her doctor.
He said: "We were sitting down and Dr Kennedy said, 'Look I'm really sorry, it is Alzheimer's.' And Barbara just looked at me and said, 'I'm so sorry.'"
Although Scott, 55, had noticed she'd become increasingly forgetful, he was still shocked by the diagnosis.
He shared: "First you think it's because she's getting older - she was in her 70s then - and I accepted that as par for the course.
"It's been such a gradual thing, I said, 'First of all you're getting forgetful and I think we ought to see someone because if there is wear and tear we may be able to get something to help it' and I was faced with no resistance, so I was really lucky in that sense.
"Deep down I didn't think it would be what it was, I just wanted to be safe."
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