Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell finds love: Who is partner Tanya Franks, who was she on EastEnders?

Scott Mitchell, the widower of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, has found love three years after the EastEnders icon died. The 60-year-old is said to have fallen for another EastEnders star, Tanya Franks, 55, who played Rainie Cross in the soap.

According to a source, Scott is believed to be "truly happy" despite fearing he might "never find another." The news comes a few months shy of three years since his wife died in December 2020.

His wife, Barbara Windsor, played EastEnders matriarch Peggy Mitchell for 22 years in the popular BBC soap from 1994 until 2016 when her character was killed off. She was best known for being the landlady of the Queen Victoria pub.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, with Scott going public with diagnosis four years later in 2018. He revealed that he first noticed symptoms of Alzheimer’s in 2009 when Dame Barbara began finding it difficult to learn her lines.

Barbara and Scott were married for 20 years from 2000 until her death in 2020. He went official with Tanya during a recent holiday in Greece, and it’s reported that both families are happy for the pair.

Speaking of finding love again, Scott told a national newspaper: "Life feels really good right now," before adding: "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."

Who is Tanya Franks?

Tanya Franks is a 55-year-old actress from Plumstead, London. She has had starring roles on the television shows Family Affairs, The Bill, Pulling, EastEnders and Broadchurch. On EastEnders, she played Rainie Cross for 15 years across four different spells.