The widower of Barbara Windsor, Scott Mitchell, has defended his relationship with her former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks.

Barbara passed away in 2020, aged 83, following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Two years later, Scott, 62, confirmed his new romance with Tanya, 57 – who played Rainie Cross on the BBC One soap.

And now, Scott has hit out at critics who suggested he moved on too quickly with Tanya after Barbara’s death.

Barbara and Scott
She died from Alzheimer’s disease (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Scott Mitchell on finding love after Barbara Windsor’s death

Scott and Tanya reportedly first met during training for the London Marathon in 2023. After the pair confirmed their romance, Scott and Tanya were met with criticism on social media by online critics.

In a new interview, Scott addressed the backlash and revealed that he “didn’t feel guilty” about starting a new relationship after losing Barbara.

“My being unhappy and alone is not going to bring Barbara back. Life is very much for the living and we all get one shot at living,” he told the Mirror.

Scott and Tanya smiling
Scott is now dating Tanya (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Scott ‘didn’t feel guilty’

Scott went on: “Of course, there’s always someone on the internet who’s going to say, ‘Oh, it didn’t take him long.’”

He then pointed out that Barbara’s illness started around 10 years before she died.

“You lose them while they’re alive. I didn’t feel guilty because I knew I had Barbara’s blessing,” he added.

Scott also spoke out about the backlash during an appearance on Kate Thorton’s White Wine Question podcast.

Clapping back, he declared: “There was a bit of, ‘Oh he’s moved on too fast.’ And you just think, ‘How dare you?’ People don’t know the pain. They don’t know what the grief has been.”

Barbara and Scott
Barbara died in 2020 (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Scott on Barbara and Tanya

Meanwhile, back in September 2023, Scott admitted that Barbara and Tanya “are the polar opposites”.

He explained on This Morning: “It’s a very funny thing. I could not have picked two ladies who are more opposite, they are the polar opposites when it comes to talking about their personal life.

“Tanya is an incredible lady, but she believes that her personal relationships are not something that she wishes to discuss. I respect that. We did meet through running and we still do run together.”