EastEnders star Tanya Franks dating Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell
EastEnders star Tanya Franks and Scott Mitchell, the widower of Barbara Windsor, are dating.
Via The Sun, it's been confirmed that Mitchell and Franks, who played Rainie Cross between 2007 and last year, are officially a couple.
"Thank you for your kind wishes. Life feels really good right now and we are enjoying some special time together," said Mitchell in a brief statement.
The couple have recently returned from a holiday in Greece, according to The Sun's report.
Related: EastEnders cast lead emotional tributes to Dame Barbara Windsor after she dies aged 83
Franks is also familiar to viewers for her roles in Broadchurch (as Lucy Stevens), Pulling (Karen) and Family Affairs (Karen Ellis). She also founded her own theatre and film company Stock-pot Productions, which has been running since 1993.
Mitchell and Windsor were married for 20 years. She passed away in December 2020.
Following the 2018 announcement of Windsor's diagnosis with Alzheimer's and her retirement from acting, Mitchell became an advocate for those living with dementia and their loved ones.
He has helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds for Alzheimer's research, including by running the London Marathon three times along with a number of EastEnders stars.
In 2023, Mitchell indicated that this will be his last time running the marathon.
"I want to thank people for being so incredibly generous," he said at the time. "I've always thought the British public are the most generous people there are and no one beats them when it comes to charity.
"Once again it shows how much dementia touches people's lives, in this country and across the world."
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
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