Latest news with #BarbaraWindsor
The Independent
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lady Starmer deserves better than putting up with ‘banter' from Donald Trump
We are all Victoria Starmer. No, really – ask any woman if she's had to fix a smile on her face and grin through gritted teeth while an older man makes 'lols' and instigates 'banter' about our appearance or demeanour. Then ask her if she eye-rolled, silently, the moment she turned away. Shocked? You really shouldn't be – though you might not have seen it. We never let on, you see. We titter and giggle and do all the things you have to do simply to get through the ordeal so they'll leave you alone – an exaggerated wink, a rib-nudge, an elbow pat, a waggling eyebrow Barbara Windsor would be proud of; Carry On, Mr President, perhaps. But us women see you, Lady Starmer. We feel your pain. We see you making a rare public appearance, being trotted out like a secret weapon off the back of a US-EU deal on trade, ahead of a talk on Gaza; we see you being brought up by the US president in an impromptu press conference in the same breath as he lols about whiskey; as he is almost drowned out on his Scottish golf course steps by some rogue bagpipes: 'Whisky? Well, we'll talk about that. I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be one of them. Maybe I'll have some whisky today…' We see you, doing your level best not to look openly confused by the 'last person at the bar, let me tell you my life story'-style rhetoric while smiling at the cameras alongside your husband, Keir Starmer. Stoically and majestically ignoring Trump's word salad segue from whiskey to 'making the prime minister happy' – by way of you, poor love. For this is where 'first lady as plot device' really came into fruition (though the other first lady, Melania Trump, was notable in her absence): 'We want to make the prime minister happy,' Trump said, grasping Lady Starmer's arm (and they always do. At some point, they always do). 'We want to make, by the way, your first lady, I would say first lady. She's, she's a respected person all over the United States! 'I don't know what he's doing, but she's very respected – as respected as him! I don't want to say more. I'll get myself in trouble. But she's married. She's a great woman and very highly respected.' Oh, Donald… pray, keep your word and don't say more. Do anything but say more! Because we've heard it all before, really, we have. We've all been in encounters with men like this – the ones who joke about getting themselves into trouble; the ones who sometimes veer from calling you a 'great woman' to a 'naughty girl'. It is usually, at this point, that we try to edge away – physically – from the old lech with a twinkle in his eye. And The Donald is no stranger to accusations of lechery (and worse) – for not only is the president under pressure to release all files relating to the Epstein case, which he has so far refused to do despite a 2024 election promise; but in May 2023, a jury in New York found him liable for the sexual abuse of writer E Jean Carroll. The court ruled Trump more likely than not sexually abused Ms Carroll and awarded her $2 million (£1.6 million), while he was also accused of sexual assault by two other women. If that wasn't enough, there were the infamous 'grab em by the p***y' comments in the Access Hollywood tape from the set of Days of Our Lives in 2005, when he was recorded talking about groping women and how 'you can do anything' when you're a 'star' (then, in a statement issued on his behalf, blamed it on "locker room banter"). Or, any one of his many other controversies which belie his attitude to women, such as calling a former Miss Universe "fat" and claiming he would date his daughter Ivanka if she were not related to him; and the comments he made right before the US election in 2024 to refute historic sexual assault allegations by the businesswoman Jessica Leeds, in which he said it 'couldn't have happened' because she 'would not have been the chosen one'. Women usually have a signal we give each other when we are in the orbit of men like this; we mouth things like 'handsy' to each other or make a 'vomit' shape with our fingers and warn our friends to be careful not to stand too close. 'Girl code' serves us well when dealing with older men with bad reputations, particularly when they are powerful and entitled. It's usually enough, thankfully, to make any woman give them a wide berth at a party – or press conference. Of course, even when in the company of someone like Trump, Lady Starmer was a consummate professional. We shouldn't be remotely surprised – after all, she was a lawyer who now works in the NHS as an occupational health worker. She must have experienced her fair share of tiresome old men. And when Trump went on to say Starmer has a "perfect wife", espousing: "I respect him much more today than I did before, because I just met his wife and family. He's got a perfect wife and that's never easy to achieve, right?" (to which, the prime minister replied: "I take no credit for that') she simply smiled and laughed and acted every inch the good sport, like women have done – and will continue to do – for time immemorial; because it's easier, because it's polite, because we are tired. All I (and perhaps she?) really wanted to do, however, is pretend to throw up.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EastEnders star Jamie Foreman says soap isn't 'anywhere near the highlight of my career' as he accuses show bosses of breaking promises
Jamie Foreman has revealed that EastEnders is 'nowhere near the highlight' of his acting career as he accused show bosses of failing to keep promises made before he joined the soap. The actor, 67, played Derek Branning from November 2011 until the character's death in the dramatic Christmas Day episode of 2012. Despite his role in one of Walford's most infamous families, Jamie said he doesn't consider the part a standout moment in his career - even though it gave him the opportunity to work alongside icons like Dame Barbara Windsor. Speaking on the Lewis Nicholls show, Jamie admitted: 'I'm going to be a little bit controversial here. 'I don't see EastEnders as anywhere near the highlight of my career. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'It was a lovely job and I respect it. But for me… they'd asked me so many times before.' He went on to explain that producers promised him flexibility and favourable working conditions before he signed on. He continued: 'They said, "it's with the best family, it's full on, you can do as long as you want". I said, "I only want to do it for a year." 'I went and met with them and they made me all manner of promises that they never kept, like "you'll never work a Saturday". I did every Saturday. I was the first in, last out every day.' The BBC declined to comment, and Jamie's representative has also been approached. During his short tenure on the show, Derek Branning made a significant impact. He had an affair with Kat Slater, tormented Pat Butcher on her deathbed, and revealed the truth about Dennis Rickman to his son, Denny Watts. This isn't the first time Jamie has voiced criticism of his time on EastEnders. In a 2013 appearance on Daybreak, he said: 'I hated the scenes in the Queen Vic, I'm terribly sorry to everybody! 'I'm sure a lot of the cast will say the same thing - they're so long and laborious. 'You've got to stand there and wait for somebody over there to stop talking, so you're listening to that conversation, then it cuts to somebody else. You never shoot a scene quickly in there.' In 2020, Jamie revealed he suffered a heart attack, just like his character did in the BBC soap. Speaking to The Sun about his health scare, Jamie said: 'I had a massive heart attack a couple of years back and nearly pegged it. 'That put everything in perspective. All the years and energy I'd spent stressing about work and now I think "I've been there, done that".' Jamie has had an illustrious film and TV career, starring in movies such as Layer Cake, Oliver Twist and Nil By Mouth. Despite his successful career, he has been candid about the challenges he's faced in finding work. He told the Business & Money supplement in The Sunday Times: 'I've been sort of struggling on the work front. 'I wasn't terribly well a few years ago and it made me really reappraise things, so I'm in a transitional period. I'm only working if something nice comes in. 'My wife and I set up a little fashion business, Jules Boutique, in Surrey a while ago, which is her shop really and it's still burgeoning.' Jamie was previously married to EastEnders actress Carol Harrison, who played Louise Raymond. They share a son, Alfie.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dame Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell defends romance with her EastEnders co-star after admitting he 'still wakes up in panic' worrying about the late star
Dame Barbara Windsor 's widower Scott Mitchell has defended his relationship with her former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks. Barbara, known for her portrayal of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, died from Alzheimer's Disease in 2020 at the age of 83. Scott, 62, became Barbara's carer in 2014 when she fell ill with the disease and the pair were married for 20 years before her death in 2020. Scott, who recently shared that he 'still wakes up in panic' worrying about the late star, like he did when she was still alive, believes Barbara would have given her blessing for his new romance with Tanya, 56. The couple went public with their relationship last year, having grown close while campaigning together for dementia awareness following Barbara's diagnosis. Tanya, best known for playing Rainie Cross in the BBC soap, worked with Barbara on EastEnders before her health began to decline. Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Scott admitted: 'I still wake in terror. I still have moments - this morning I was quite emotional - where I just miss her. 'That doesn't change. I think it will be with me forever. 'I would like to believe 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.' Despite having some public support, Scott has faced some backlash for his relationship with Tanya. Hitting back at criticism, he said: '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.' Scott also told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: 'I'm incredibly happy. Me being unhappy and alone is not going to bring Barbara back. Life is very much for the living and we all get one shot at living. Of course, there's always someone on the internet, who's going to say, "Oh, it didn't take him long."' Scott and Tanya initially bonded through their work with the Alzheimer's Society and were close friends for years before their relationship turned romantic. Reflecting on his ongoing grief, Scott said: 'I don't think anyone ever gets over a loss of someone they love so deeply. Scott, who recently shared that he 'still wakes up in panic' worrying about the late star, believes Barbara would have given her blessing for his new romance with Tanya, 56 He said: 'I would like to believe 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' 'I think we find ways of carrying them with us, and that's what I try to do every day.' Scott refused to compare Barbara and Tanya but admitted they are 'very different' from one another. He said: 'Tanya is a wonderful lady. She's very private. She's not how Barbara was in that respect. Barbara was an open book. Barbara told you every detail about her life. Tanya has no interest in celebrity. She is a very good actress. At the moment, she's appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in Much Ado About Nothing. 'I don't compare the two ladies. They're very different and I have love for both of them. I wouldn't be with anyone who wasn't truly lovely.' In the wake of the loss of his wife, Scott detailed how his 'incredible friendship' with Tanya, 57, became a romance. Speaking to This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, he said: 'We forged an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it... 'The exact opposite of what dementia is. I'm very fortunate that I have a partner that doesn't mind me speaking about my late wife.' Scott and Tanya forged a close friendship over the years as they worked together to raise awareness about Alzheimer's with 'Bab's Army'. Alzheimer's is close to Tanya's heart with her running in the London Marathon as part of Bab's Army for her step-father Derek. Tanya, who knew EastEnders star Barbara and played drug addict prostitute Rainie Cross on the soap, admitted she can do 'nothing but support' Scott discussing Barbara's battle and his work in caring for the TV icon. Tanya said: 'I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's... 'The communication allowed the support system to grow. Barbara is as much about the legacy of Alzheimer's as it is me going through it with my step father. It is hundreds of thousands that we've raised from doing the three marathons.'
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Barbara Windsor's widower defends romance with her EastEnders co-star as he admits he still ‘wakes in terror'
DAME Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell has spoken out to defend his relationship with her former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks. Scott, 60, who was married to the Carry On icon for 20 years until her death from Alzheimer's disease in 2020, said he 'still wakes in terror' without her. But he insists Barbara would have given her blessing for his new romance with Tanya, 56. The couple went public with their relationship last year, having grown close while campaigning together for dementia awareness following Barbara's diagnosis. Tanya, best known for playing Rainie Cross in the BBC soap, worked with Barbara on EastEnders before her health began to decline. Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Scott admitted: 'I still wake in terror. I still have moments - this morning I was quite emotional - where I just miss her. "That doesn't change. I think it will be with me forever.' He added: 'I would like to believe 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.'' Scott also revealed that despite public support, there had been some backlash to his relationship with Tanya - and he felt compelled to respond to those who criticised him for moving on. He said: '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." Scott and Tanya initially bonded through their work with the Alzheimer's Society and were close friends for years before their relationship turned romantic. Barbara, who played the iconic Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders, was diagnosed in 2014 but kept the news private until 2018. Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell praises new partner Tanya Frank for supporting him as she describes how romance grew naturally She died in December 2020 aged 83, with Scott by her side. He has since become a prominent campaigner for dementia awareness and was awarded an MBE in 2022 for his efforts. Reflecting on his ongoing grief, Scott said: '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.' Scott and Tanya previously appeared together on This Morning to raise awareness of dementia and campaign for vital research. The recruitment consultant told host Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley: 'We forged an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it... 'The exact opposite of what dementia is. I'm very fortunate that I have a partner that doesn't mind me speaking about my late wife.' Tanya joined Scott in fundraising after her step father Derek went through a similar thing. She said: 'I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's... 'The communication allowed the support system to grow. Barbara is as much about the legacy of Alzheimer's as it is me going through it with my step father. It is hundreds of thousands that we've raised from doing the three marathons.' Scott went on to reveal he would take part in another marathon – but there were certain conditions. He said: 'If for next year's marathon someone would like to give a million pounds, a big company or sponsor, I will do another marathon and shave my hair off as well, and that is the big one, shaving my hair off.' 4 4 4
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dame Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell admits he 'still wakes up in panic' worrying about the late star
Dame Barbara Windsor 's widower Scott Mitchell has shared he 'still wakes up in panic' worrying about the late star, like he did when she was still alive. Barbara, known for her portrayal of Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, died from Alzheimer's Disease in 2020 at the age of 83. Scott, 62, who became Barbara's carer in 2014 when she fell ill with the disease, said he would always be 'constantly alert' during the night in case she had a fall. And years after her death, Scott has admitted he still struggles to sleep throughout the night. He told The Mirror: 'I've never recovered from my sleep from when I was caring for Barbara. I'll fall asleep at 11 but I can be waking up through the night. 'I was so aware of when she used to get up in the night because she used to have falls in the night. So I never really used to sleep. I used to constantly be alert.' He added: 'There are times when I wake up and I panic because I think, is she OK? Like I used to. I have to talk to myself and say, "it's OK. She's at peace". It's a lot less than it used to be now.' Scott and his new partner Tanya Franks previously spoke about their romance on Lorraine. In the wake of the loss of his wife, Scott detailed how his 'incredible friendship' with Tanya, 57, became a romance. Speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, he said: 'We forged an incredible friendship over the four years and something wonderful blossomed out of it... 'The exact opposite of what dementia is. I'm very fortunate that I have a partner that doesn't mind me speaking about my late wife.' Scott and Tanya forged a close friendship over the years as they worked together to raise awareness about Alzheimer's with 'Bab's Army'. Alzheimer's is close to Tanya's heart with her running in the London Marathon as part of Bab's Army for her step-father Derek. Tanya, who knew EastEnders star Barbara and played drug addict prostitute Rainie Cross on the soap, admitted she can do 'nothing but support' Scott discussing Barbara's battle and his work in caring for the TV icon. Tanya played crack cocaine addict as Rainie Cross on the BBC soap where her storyline followed her and Barbara's on-screen son Phil Mitchell Tanya said: 'I can do nothing but support him in talking about it. You often feel alone in it when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's... 'The communication allowed the support system to grow. Barbara is as much about the legacy of Alzheimer's as it is me going through it with my step father. It is hundreds of thousands that we've raised from doing the three marathons.' Scott echoed: 'If for next year's marathon someone would like to give a million pounds, a big company or sponsor, I will do another marathon and shave my hair off as well, and that is the big one, shaving my hair off.' 'I don't want people to go through the latter stages of what I went through with Barbara.' He said: 'She's a wonderful lady who knew Barbara. It can't be easy to be with someone who was the other half of Barbara Windsor, especially the fact that I still put myself out there and talk about her. 'So, it says to me the type of person that Tanya is, that she can deal with that. She's very sure of herself as a person. Just because you're not with someone for whatever reason, it doesn't mean to say that you just switch off some valve of love.'
