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National treasure Dame Barbara Windsor died on Thursday night, aged 83. This was long-expected, but it is still a shock — she was indestructible showbiz royalty. As Joan Collins rightly says: 'Showbusiness has lost a legend.'
Her final years were clouded by Alzheimer's disease, which first became apparent in 2014 when she could no longer learn her lines — and she'd always been what is called in the profession 'a quick study'.
Through sheer persistence, Babs managed to keep playing Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders for a further two years. Once she could no longer perform, she channelled her energy into the Alzheimer's Society. In an open letter to the Government, she wrote: 'My heart goes out to the many, many people who are really struggling to get the care they so desperately need.'