News | Entertainment
29 Jan 2026 9:16
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Dame Barbara Windsor has been moved into a care home amid her battle with dementia

    The 82-year-old actress has been battling with Alzheimer’s - a form of dementia - for six years, and after her condition worsened, her husband Scott Mitchell has confirmed she has been moved into a specialist care facility


    Speaking to The Sun newspaper, he said: “I have been used to hustle and bustle in this little space, then suddenly, silence ?.?.?.? all you can hear are your thoughts, and that’s not always healthy.

    “I feel I’m on an emotional rollercoaster. I walk around, trying to keep busy, then burst into tears. It feels like a bereavement.

    "It’s always been my biggest fear, that one day I would have to take her somewhere and she’d be thinking, ‘Why would he do this to me?’ That fear has become a reality. It’s something I never wanted.”

    Scott - who has been married to Barbara since 2000 - was advised by the ‘EastEnders’ star’s neurologist, Dr Angus Kennedy, to tell the iconic actress she needed to go somewhere for a few days so that doctors could adjust her medication, in order to make the transition stress-free.

    He added: “Walking out of the house that day was an incredibly tough thing to do because, the reality is, I doubt if Barbara will ever return. She didn’t know that as we were driving off, but I did. It was an awful feeling.”

    Barbara had to self-isolate for two weeks when she arrived at the care home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    And Scott, 57, says the decision to put her in care was tough, because he thinks she will “blame” him for “letting her down”.

    He said: “I won’t kid you, it hurts. She still seems unsettled and, in her lucid moments, I can see she’s worked out this isn’t temporary. She’s still thinking and saying I’ve let her down. Of course that’s a painful thing to hear, but I know it’s not the Barbara I know speaking.

    "And, let’s be honest, who else is she going to blame? I just have to smile and tell her I love her and everything I do is for her best wellbeing. I am no different to millions of other people who would have experienced this.”

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     29 Jan: Grimes and Elon Musk disagree over screen time for their children
     29 Jan: Simon Cowell went "too far" with his crushing put-downs on The X Factor - admitting he was a "d***" and is "sorry"
     29 Jan: Queen Camilla's charity is to study the benefits of book clubs
     29 Jan: Bethenny Frankel has been diagnosed with stage two chronic kidney disease
     29 Jan: Jason Segel's mom briefly stormed out of the Forgetting Sarah Marshall premiere after seeing him give a full-frontal display on-screen
     29 Jan: Craig Robinson says an ex-girlfriend thought he was secretly married like Michelle Obama's brother of the same name
     29 Jan: Chris Pratt nearly made Christo his stage name
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Blacks are returning to Super Rugby franchises while the hunt for a new national coach remains the talking point More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Economists are expecting the Official Cash Rate to rise sooner rather than later - flattening forecasts for the property market More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Grimes and Elon Musk disagree over screen time for their children 9:01

    Politics:
    Non-urgent events are dominating the number of 111 calls for ambulances, as paramedics struggle to keep up with demand 8:37

    Entertainment:
    Simon Cowell went "too far" with his crushing put-downs on The X Factor - admitting he was a "d***" and is "sorry" 8:31

    Business:
    Economists are expecting the Official Cash Rate to rise sooner rather than later - flattening forecasts for the property market 8:27

    Environment:
    NZTA has reopened one highway after the recent severe weather, but many others still remain closed 8:17

    Entertainment:
    Queen Camilla's charity is to study the benefits of book clubs 8:01

    International:
    The US wanted to ban TikTok over national security concerns. Does a deal with China fix that? 7:57

    Law and Order:
    Police are investigating an assault in Hamilton after a man's been found critically injured overnight 7:47

    Cricket:
    A boost to New Zealand's T20 World Cup cricket confidence with a 50-run win over India in the fourth match of the five-game series at Visakhapatnam  7:37

    Entertainment:
    Bethenny Frankel has been diagnosed with stage two chronic kidney disease 7:31


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd