THERE has been an outpouring of grief from actors across the UK today following the death of Barbara Windsor at the age of 83.

Tributes to the legendary Carry On and EastEnders star have filled newspaper websites and social media pages as fellow actors lamented the loss of one of England’s best-loved characters – on and off screen.

Her death was confirmed by her husband Scott Mitchell, who said she passed away at 8.35pm yesterday 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,” he said.

“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.”

The Argus:

Barbara’s career spanned more than half a decade, starring in her first film in 1964.

She played Agent Daphne Honeybutt in the James Bond parody Carry On Spying, the first of nine appearances in the film franchise.

In 1994 she landed the role for which she became best known – landlady Peggy Mitchell in the soap EastEnders.

Famous for her use of the phrase “get out of my pub”, she spent more than 20 years with the show before making her final appearance in 2016.

During her illustrious career, which earned her a Bafta nomination and an MBE, Barbara made several trips down to the Sussex coast for a range of reasons.

The Argus:

Her first known trip came in 1973, when she made her way to Brighton alongside the likes of Sid James, Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw to film Carry On Girls.

Playing diminutive biker Hope Springs, she found herself in the midst of all sorts of mischief including a riotous bathing suit fight scene with beauty contest competitor Dawn Brakes, played by Margaret Nolan.

The scene was shot at the old Clarges Hotel on Brighton seafront, with the city’s now defunct Peter Pan’s Playground and West Pier also making appearances.

In 1983 Barbara returned to Sussex, this time to star alongside Trevor Bannister and Christopher Timothy (below) in the pantomime Aladdin, which ran from December 16 to January 14 the following year at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Barbara was cast as the eponymous hero.

The Argus:

In 1992, shortly before joining the EastEnders cast, she starred in another Sussex pantomime.

Barbara played the Fairy Godmother alongside Tommy Boyd as Buttons in a production of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.

Another memorable trip to Brighton came in 2006, when Barbara was part of the Brighton Pride celebrations. The theme of that year’s event was “Carry On”, making her appearance even more apt.

However, revellers watching the annual parade might have struggled to believe their eyes when not one, not two but three versions of the actor rolled past.

The bona fide Barbara rode on the float of sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, wearing a pink feather boa and waving to fans as the procession wound its way around Brighton and Hove.

The Argus:

However, a professional Barbara Windsor lookalike also rode on another float, which just happened to be an enormous sculpture of a topless Barbara Windsor covering her breasts with her hands – as she did in Carry On Camping.

In 2014, Barbara was diagnosed with dementia. She became an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and met Prime Minister Boris Johnson to raise awareness of the disease.

The Argus:

Last year Barbara, along with husband Scott, wrote an open letter calling on Mr Johnson to “sort out” dementia care, urging the government to provide funding for research into the disease.

She delivered the letter, which was signed by 100,000 supporters, to 10 Downing Street before discussing the issue with the Prime Minister in the garden.

Her husband said her death was a result of “Alzheimer’s/dementia”.

He said: “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.”