Dame Barbara Windsor has passed away at the age of 83 following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
The legendary actress, known for the Carry On films and her role as matriarch Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, went public with her condition in 2018 in an attempt to raise awareness of the disease.
Earlier this year her husband of 20 years, Scott Mitchell, revealed that she had been moved into a care home following a deterioration in her condition.
In a statement early on Friday, he said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that my darling wife Barbara passed away at 8.35pm on Thursday 10 December at a London care home.
"Her passing was from Alzheimer's/dementia and Barbara eventually died peacefully and I spent the last seven days by her side.
"Myself, her family and friends will remember Barbara with love, a smile and affection for the many years of her love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives and the entertainment she gave to so many thousands of others during her career.
"Barbara's final weeks were typical of how she lived her life. Full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end.
"It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserves. I will always be immensely proud of Barbara's courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could."
Despite suffering with Alzheimer's, Windsor returned to EastEnders for a brief spell in 2016 in order to give her beloved character Peggy a final send-off.
> EastEnders stars pay tribute to Dame Barbara Windsor
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