Category Entertainment News

As Barbara Windsor’s widower, Scott Mitchell reflects on the incredible life and legacy of his late wife, he reveals sadly that not everyone was happy for him when he found love again

On the fifth anniversary of the iconic star’s death, Barbara Windsor’s widower, acting agent Scott Mitchell, has revealed that sadly, when he found love again, not everyone was happy for him.

The 62-year-old dementia campaigner revealed during an exclusive chat with the Mirror that after going public last year on his romance with former EastEnders star Tanya Frank, 58, who played Rainie Cross in the soap, some nasty keyboard warriors just had to have their say.

He said, “There’s always that person that says, ‘That was quick’. It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and cast judgement – especially with social media. These people forget that their words can really hurt.”

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Opening up on his ‘wonderful’ relationship with Tanya, Scott said that she is very accepting of what a huge presence Barbara still is in his life – and has her own vested interest in dementia awareness, after her step-father Derek died of the devastating disease last year, following an 11-year battle.

Scott said: “Tanya allows me to talk about Barbara any time I need to. In the same way she can with me. I’m never second-guessing if the moment’s right. If I thought any of it hurt her, I wouldn’t do it.”

Tanya also often accompanies Scott to his regular talks about the lived experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. He said, “The first thing I do is introduce Tanya and say, ‘Before we start I’d like to acknowledge my partner Tanya is here – and thank her for allowing me to share my story.”

He also confessed that, though their time on EastEnders didn’t cross, Barbara ‘liked’ Tanya when they met – as she knew her stuff when it came to the acting world. “The team used to come to our house,” explained Scott, “and Tanya and Barbara got on really well. Barbara liked Tanya – she’d say, ‘She asks sensible questions about acting!’

“Tanya wanted to know all about theatre director Joan Littlewood, she knew her stuff and that meant a lot to Barbara. It was lovely that they did meet.”

Scott and Tanya became friends as they worked together and ran the London Marathon, along with other EastEnders colleagues, later as part of ‘Bab’s Army’, before their friendship some years on, blossomed into love. He revealed that the pair will be spending Christmas together with their families – but won’t forget those that are missing, admitting, “There are always empty chairs at Christmas. And we will be remembering our loved ones – as it should be.”

Elsewhere, Scott praised the amazing legacy of his late wife, as he remembered her at her best. “Certain people truly earn the title of national treasure – Barbara was one of them. But for me, I’ll simply remember how she was, how loving she was with me. She made me laugh so much – she was true to herself, honest about her flaws and her past.

“She taught me a lot about getting rid of ego – I wasn’t as good at that in my younger days. People laughed when we first got together, but we lasted the course – it was unconditional love.”

He added, “It took us forever to go anywhere, she’d talk to everyone. It was like walking down the street with Tinkerbell. She loved other people and their stories – she would sprinkle her special fairy dust on everyone.”

If you still need to get a fun festive outfit or get your hands on a cosy Christmas jumper, then now is the time as one major supermarket slashes them by 20% for just 3 days

December is the ultimate time of year for bringing a little bit of fun, joy and silliness to your outfits. Whether it’s a playful Christmas jumper or finding a way to wear something sparkly with every outfit, it’s the season to fully commit to a look, no matter what it is.

But if you’ve still not quite found that perfect piece to bring the festive cheer, then you might want to take advantage of George at Asda’s latest offer. From today until Saturday 13 December, you’ll be able to save a huge 20% on selected novelty Christmas clothing, letting you bring some festive charm to your wardrobe this December without breaking the bank.

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The offer is an online exclusive, so you can only shop these deals on the George website which makes it easier to pick which pieces you want. The sale applies to everything from festive jumpers and cardigans, to men’s shirts, Christmas-print dresses and accessories like beanie hats shaped like Christmas puddings.

You can also snap up sweatshirts with favourite movie franchise characters on such as Star Wars and The Muppets for adults, whilst kids’ sweatshirts feature designs from the likes of Hello Kitty and Bluey. For music lovers, there’s even Christmas jumpers inspired by favourite artists such as AC/DC and Guns ‘N’ Roses.

As well as the more playful novelty clothing , you can also pick up some classic styles too. There is adorable childrenswear that would be perfect for Christmas Day outfits, and adults jumpers and cardigans that would be great with everything from jeans to worn over a midi dress.

Of course, George isn’t the only place you can snap up some festive fashion. Marks & Spencer has a whole range of Christmas sweaters to shop, whether you want classic festive scenes or more timeless prints like fair isle and argyle. There are styles for the whole family from babies to adults, and you can even pick up matching jumpers, or pieces from big name brands.

Meanwhile Tu at Sainsbury’s is running some festive deals of its own, which sees plenty of Christmas clothing slashed in price. Some items are already discounted, whilst others can be reduced when you use the code TU10 to save yourself 10% on plenty of colourful and cosy knits, as well as designs featuring characters like The Grinch and The BFG.

Ozzy Osbourne was warned performing with his band Black Sabbath again could kill him – but the heavy metal legend was determined to do it

Doctors issued a chilling warning to rockstar Ozzy Osbourne ahead of his final Black Sabbath show.

Health professionals said he would die if he took to the stage again, his devastated wife Sharon Osbourne has revealed in a new interview.

The heavy metal icon died on July 22, 2025 at the age of 76 just two weeks after he performed with his band Black Sabbath for the final time in a homecoming gig in his beloved Birmingham. But what fans didn’t know was that Ozzy – whose real name is John Michael Osbourne – was hiding a secret health battle.

Fans were aware that the Prince of Darkness had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, believed to have been triggered by a fall in 2019. This meant he had to undergo surgery on his spine multiple times and left him with mobility issues. Though his wheelchair was cleverly disguised as a bat throne during the gig at Villa Park on July 6.

It was the first time the band – made up of Ozzy, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler – had performed together in 20 years. In his final words to fans, Ozzy said: “Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever.” Now it’s emerged that Ozzy was warned not to do the gig as he wouldn’t survive it – but he did it anyway.

READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne recalls moment she found Ozzy dead and final words he said to her

Opening up on the death of her husband of 43 years, Ozzy’s wife Sharon, 73, shared what had really been going on behind the scenes. In an interview with friend Piers Morgan, she was asked if Ozzy knew the end was near. She replied: “Very much so, because he’d been so ill this year — terribly, terribly ill.

“When we came to England and we were meeting with new doctors here, a new medical team for him, the main doctor said to him, ‘If you do this show, that’s it. You’re not going to get through it’. But we just sat there, and he said, ‘I’m doing it. I want to do it, and I’m doing it’.”

Piers clarified: “So he knew that if he went ahead with the show, it would probably kill him. I don’t know how you feel given how painful it has been to lose him.” Sharon then broke down and wiped her tears away. Detailing his health issues, Sharon continued: “He knew his body was failing him. He was in so much pain, so much pain. And I mean, you know, he had pneumonia three times this year. He’d had sepsis. That’s what really, really destroyed him.

“He was on these shots of antibiotics. It used to take 20 minutes for the shot to go in, and he had that twice a day, and it kills everything in you, the good, the bad, everything. So much antibiotics, and he just couldn’t get over that. He just couldn’t.”

Sharon recalled the moment she found husband Ozzy dead and how she screamed uncontrollably at realising he had passed. She shared: “He had a heart attack. I ran downstairs, and there he was, and they were trying to resuscitate him, and I’m like, ‘Don’t — just leave him. Leave him. You can’t. He’s gone’. I knew instantly he’d gone. And they tried and tried, and then they took him by helicopter to the hospital and they tried, and it’s like, ‘He’s gone. Just leave him.'”

Sharon also explained how Ozzy would use the cross trainer for up to an hour and a half a day – even with his ill health. Sharing a moment from their final night together for the first time, Sharon said Ozzy had been up and down out of bed all night.

“He said, ‘Kiss me’. And then he said, ‘Hug me tight’. I can’t help wondering if I should have, could I have? If only I’d have told him I loved him more. If only I’d have held him tighter. And he went downstairs, worked out for 20 minutes and passed away,” she said.

Heartbreakingly Sharon went on to say how she considered taking her own life so she didn’t have to go on without Ozzy by her side – but she stopped herself because of her kids. The couple share daughters Aimee, 42, and Kelly, 41, as well as son Jack, 40, who recently appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

She confessed: “I would have just gone with Ozzy, definitely. I’ve done everything I wanted to do,” she said. But she recalled how she had, in the past, met women who had lost their mothers to suicide. It was then she vowed to never do the same to her kids. Ozzy has since been laid to rest in the grounds of the family home, under an apple tree, where Sharon visits him daily. Before his death, the rocker had joked that he wanted his kids to make wine from the fruit and get drunk.

*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk

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The restaurant says he was ‘gracious’ and ‘a delight’

Staff at a Bury St Edmunds restaurant were left delighted after serving a superstar during a surprise visit. Singer Ed Sheeran dined at Bellota, in the town’s Churchgate Street after making a reservation like any other customer – although the booking was kept under wraps, even from staff.

Linda Keenan, the investor behind the venue, said: “We are unbelievably proud to have served Ed at Bellota. All the staff are huge fans and they didn’t know he was coming beforehand so they were absolutely thrilled.

“Ed was so gracious, he was such a delight – and even with such a huge star in the restaurant, everything ran smoothly like any other night.”

Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter and musician who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful music artists of his generation. Born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Suffolk, he developed an early interest in music and learned to play the guitar as a child.

Before achieving global fame, Ed Sheeran spent years performing on the streets, in small venues, and at open mic nights across the UK. In 2011, he released his debut studio album, + (Plus) , which included the hit single “The A Team” and earned him major recognition.

Sheeran went on to achieve massive international success with later albums such as × (Multiply) and ÷ (Divide) . Songs like “Thinking Out Loud,” “Shape of You,” and “Perfect” topped charts around the world and became some of the most-streamed and best-selling songs of all time.

Ariana Grande’s fans said the singer appeared to have lost a lot of weight when they saw her promote Wicked: For Good recently — but she since reassured her following

Popstar Ariana Grande’s family members fear the singer is “not in a healthy place” amid concerns around her weight loss.

Fans had expressed worry for the singer, 32, noting a change in her appearance during her promotion for the release of the second installment of Wicked. Ariana is in Wicked: For Good, which came out last month, after the huge success of the first film of this series.

Ariana hit back at the scrutiny by resharing a clip of an interview in which she spoke about her body. In the interview, she said: “In today’s society, there is a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all — commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health or how they present themselves … that I think is really dangerous.”

But some of her family members have today shared their concern. One said: “Ariana did not handle [the press tour] well at all. It bothered her a lot — from the red carpet incident [in which a man tried to attack her] to what people were saying about her online. She can be very thin-skinned, and people commenting on how skinny she is was really troubling to her.”

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Wicked: For Good, which also stars Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey and Drift actress Cynthia Erivo, has been a box office success. It made approximately $112.5million (£84million) globally during its first weekend in cinemas.

But at the premiere for the Wicked: For Good last month, Ariana was ambushed by a Johnson Wen, a repeated red-carpet rusher who jumped the barrier to grab hold of her. Thankfully, Cynthia swooped into action, wrapping her arm around Ariana as bodyguards grabbed the man. Wen, 26, was sentenced to nine days in prison for being a public nuisance in Singapore.

At the time, a separate source revealed that the attack had triggered Ariana’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which she has been battling since the terrorist bombing at her concert in Manchester in 2017 that left 22 dead.

“She is struggling right now. She’s not in a healthy place and she knows it. Everyone around her knows it. Her anxiety is through the roof. She over-exerted herself and the cracks started to show pretty quickly,” the family source told the Daily Mail this week.

The insider, thought to be from Florida, added: “Fortunately she’s got a support system. Everyone is encouraging her to take care of her own mental health — because she needs to.”

Dame Judi Dench, 91, lives quietly in a historic farmhouse in Surrey, where the James Bond star enjoys privacy in one of Britain’s most sought-after areas

Dame Judi Dench, 91, famed for her portrayal of M in the James Bond series, is widely hailed as one of Britain’s finest actresses. Over her illustrious career, she has taken on a myriad of roles in theatre and film, earning her an array of awards including an Oscar, two Golden Globes and a Tony Award.

Her professional journey began with the Old Vic company, where she graced the stage in numerous Shakespearean plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.

She then landed the lead role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, cementing her status as one of Britain’s most prominent theatre performers, with stints at the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. During this period, she also starred in several television shows like A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By, and had supporting roles in major films, including A Room with a View (1985).

Her rise to global fame came when she took on the role of M in GoldenEye in 1995.

She later featured in a number of films, including Shakespeare in Love (1998), Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Notes on a Scandal (2006), and Philomena (2013), reports the Express.

Away from the limelight, Dame Judi leads a peaceful life in a quaint farmhouse in Surrey. She purchased the property 40 years ago with her late husband, Michael Williams, who passed away from lung cancer in 2001.

The property is situated near the village of Outwood, which boasts a population of around 720 residents.

The historic property, constructed in 1497, is believed to be valued at approximately £8 million and reportedly features a barn, pond, separate cottage, workshops, and swimming pool.

Yet the 91-year-old has previously revealed that the estate houses some unwelcome furry residents and suffers from certain structural issues, the Mirror reported previously.

She remarked: “The mice have moved in since lockdown, and I’m battling the mice. They have moved in and taken over a bit.”

She added: “My house is falling down a bit here and there.”

House and Garden reports that Dame Judi is sometimes seen enjoying meals at her preferred Italian eatery in the neighbouring town of Redhill.

The compact village offers tranquillity while remaining conveniently positioned near London and Gatwick Airport, rendering it a highly sought-after location.

Rightmove data indicates that property values in Outwood averaged £827,000 throughout the past year.

Most homes that sold in Outwood during the previous 12 months were semi-detached dwellings, achieving an average sale price of £657,000, while detached homes commanded an average of £871,250.

In total, historical property prices in Outwood over the last year climbed 2% compared to the preceding year, though remained 9% below the 2021 peak of £905,763.

Dame Judi certainly isn’t the sole famous face residing in Surrey’s affluent surroundings.