Dame Barbara Windsor, DBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 1937 in Shoreditch, London) was an English actress, known for her appearances in the Carry On films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. Barbara began her career on stage in 1950 at the age of 13 and made her film debut in The Belles of St Trinian's (1954). She received a BAFTA Award nomination for the film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), and a Tony Award nomination for the 1964 Broadway production of Oh, What A Lovely War!.

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As a child Barbara's mother paid for her to have elocution lessons, and she trained at the Aida Foster School in Golders Green, making her stage debut at 13 and her West End debut in 1952.

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From 2011 Barbara would regularly stand in for Elaine Paige on her BBC Radio 2 show on Sunday afternoons between but from 2014, Windsor was given her own series on the radio station called Ladies of Song.

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In December 2015 She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to charity and entertainment.

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In May 2017 Barbara appeared in a cameo role about her life in the BBC film production Babs written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan, showing Windsor in the 1990s as she prepares to go on stage and recalls events from her life, including her childhood and marriage to gangster Ronnie Knight, as well as her rise to fame as part of the Carry On cast. 

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On 10th May 2018 news broke that Barbara had been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past few years but her condition was worsening meaning she would no longer be making public appearances. In July 2020, as her condition deteriorated it was confirmed by Barbara's husband Scott that he had taken the heart breaking decision to move Barbra into a care home. 

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Barbara passed away 10th December 2020 aged 83 and her funeral was held on 8th January 2021. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the funeral was a low key private event with only 30 people in attendance at the Golders Green Crematorium. Amongst those in attendance were her ex-Eastenders co-stars Ross Kemp, Jamie Borthwick and her good friends Anna Karen, Paul O'Grady, Christopher Biggins, Phil Turner, Gary Cockerill, Jane Moore, David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Barbara's ex colleague Dean Gaffney arrived uninvited for the funeral but was turned away due to strict attendee numbers. As Barbara's coffin entered the ceremony the Frank Sinatra song On The Sunny Side Of The Street was played and during the service mourners sang the hymns The Lord is My Shepherd and Jerusalem. The recessional music was a recording of Barbara singing Sparrows Can't Sing.

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Below: The funeral vehicle arrives adorned with a fitting floral tribute. One one side of the hearse was a display spelling 'Saucy' and on the other side another read 'The Dame'.

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