Paul O’Grady says Dame Barbara Windsor is "doing really well" after having a pacemaker fitted.
The 63-year-old TV star is a good friend of the iconic actress – who has Alzheimer’s disease – and Paul has revealed she’s doing well following the recent procedure.
Paul – who also praised Barbara’s husband Scott Mitchell – told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "She is doing really well, and he is remarkable, Scott. Since she has had the pacemaker, I’ve been to see her.
"The love they have for each other, it breaks your heart. She knows who I am. She’s fine.
"I used to look after people with Alzheimer’s and it really is hard. One minute they are really off the spectrum and the next they are lucid and saying, ‘I’m really sorry’ – it’s heartbreaking."
The former ‘EastEnders’ actress was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, but the news only became public earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Scott – who married Barbara in 2000 – 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 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."
Paul O’Grady reveals Barbara Windsor is ‘doing really well’
