43 Facts About Barbara Windsor

Barbara Windsor joined the cast of EastEnders in 1994 and won the 1999 British Soap Award for Best Actress, before leaving the show in 2016 when her character was killed off.

Barbara Windsor starred in all four "Carry On Christmas" Thames TV specials, and appeared in both series of the 1975 ATV sitcom "Carry On Laughing".

Barbara Windsor was made a Dame in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to charity and entertainment.

Barbara Windsor was awarded the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2010, as well as the Freedom of the City of London in 2010.

Barbara Windsor was born in Shoreditch, London, in 1937, the only child of John Deeks, a bus driver, and his wife, Rose, a dressmaker.

Barbara Windsor moved in with a schoolfriend and her parents, although they struggled to cope with her loud behaviour.

Barbara Windsor moved to the Aida Foster School, Golders Green, and took elocution lessons.

When Barbara Windsor's father came to watch a performance, she was ridiculed by the others as her father had begun working as a trolley bus conductor and had come in his uniform.

Enraged, Barbara Windsor covered the girls in theatrical face powder, throwing more over the chaperone who tried to stop her.

Barbara Windsor made her film debut as an uncredited extra in 1954 playing a schoolgirl in The Belles of St Trinians; she followed this with several other uncredited roles until she appeared in Too Hot to Handle with Jayne Mansfield.

Barbara Windsor later appeared in musical shows Variety Parade, The Jack Jackson Show, and Six-Five Special, regularly singing with bands.

Barbara Windsor then became a regular cabaret act at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, and went on to do the same at the Winston's club alongside Danny La Rue and Amanda Barrie.

Barbara Windsor appeared in the comedy films Crooks in Cloisters and San Ferry Ann, the thriller film A Study in Terror, the fantasy film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Ken Russell's musical film The Boy Friend, and the TV sitcoms The Rag Trade and Wild, Wild Women.

Barbara Windsor came to prominence with her portrayals of a "good-time girl" in nine Carry On films.

Barbara Windsor was strongly identified with the Carry On films for many years, which restricted the roles she was offered later in her career.

Barbara Windsor reprised the role for a national tour with the National Theatre in 1993 co-starring John Challis of Only Fools and Horses fame.

Barbara Windsor has said that she would have liked to have been part of the original cast.

Barbara Windsor took over the role of Peggy Mitchell.

Barbara Windsor rejoined the cast full-time in the summer of 2005.

In October 2009, Barbara Windsor announced she was to leave her role as Peggy Mitchell, saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband.

In July 2013, it was announced that Barbara Windsor was to return for one episode, which aired on 20 September 2013.

Barbara Windsor again returned for a single episode on 25 September 2014, and made a further appearance for EastEnders 30th anniversary on 17 February 2015.

In November 2015, Barbara Windsor secretly filmed a return to EastEnders, which was shown in January 2016.

On 25 January 2022, by which time Barbara Windsor had died, an episode aired in which Peggy's son Phil Mitchell hears his mother's voice giving him advice.

Barbara Windsor hosted two series of the BBC documentary Disaster Masters in 2005.

Barbara Windsor provided the voice of the Dormouse in Walt Disney's live-action adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton.

In September 2010, it was announced that Barbara Windsor would be fronting a TV campaign for online bingo site Jackpotjoy as the Queen of Bingo.

Barbara Windsor appeared as herself in one episode of Come Fly with Me in January 2011.

Barbara Windsor reprised her voice role of the Dormouse in the film Alice Through the Looking Glass.

In 2016, Barbara Windsor was invited to switch on the Blackpool Illuminations 57 years after her co-star in the film Too Hot to Handle, Jayne Mansfield, had performed the task during a break in filming.

In May 2017, Barbara Windsor appeared in a cameo role as herself in BBC Television's biopic about her life, Babs, written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan.

James, who, like Windsor, was already married, would send her a dozen red roses with a note attached with the words "Love Romeo", and even arranged to see her in Australia during her Carry On Barbara one-woman show, as he could not bear to be without her.

Barbara Windsor said that Lawrence would spy on her and Knight from telephone boxes, only leaving them alone after Knight threatened him.

Barbara Windsor said that she never wanted children as a result of her father rejecting her after her parents' divorce.

Barbara Windsor was best friends with fellow actress Anna Karen, whom she met while filming Carry On Camping and who later went on to play Peggy Mitchell's sister Aunt Sal in EastEnders on and off for 20 years.

Barbara Windsor was friends with Amy Winehouse, and in 2012 became a patron of the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

In 2014, Barbara Windsor unveiled a statue of Winehouse in Camden Market.

Barbara Windsor chose not to make news of the condition public, but it was known to her friends and colleagues.

Barbara Windsor died at Anita Dorfman House, a Jewish Care home in Stanmore, north London, on 10 December 2020, aged 83.

Barbara Windsor was played by Samantha Spiro in Terry Johnson's play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, which premiered at the National Theatre in 1998.

Barbara Windsor was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 New Year Honours, and in the same year she was the first person to be inducted into the newly created BBC Hall of Fame.

Barbara Windsor was inducted into the Hackney Empire Walk of Fame on 25 May 2017.

Barbara Windsor was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to charity and entertainment.