Ross Kemp: Barbara Windsor wanted to tell her Alzheimer's story

20 June 2020, 07:00 | Updated: 20 June 2020, 07:01

Ross Kemp talks Barbara Windsor and more live on The Chris Moyles Show

Watch the former Eastenders actor talk to Chris Moyles about his co-star's heartbreaking battle with Alzheimers, and why she wanted the public to know about it.

Ross Kemp has talked about Barbara Windsor's battle with Alzheimer's and revealed her wish to make the subject less taboo.

The former Eastenders hard man tackles the disease in his Living With Dementia series, which features the heartbreaking story of his former TV mum and co-star, who he visits off-camera.

After revealing that the 82-year-old has dramatically worsened over the lockdown period and she may have to go into care, Kemp added: "Before the disease grabbed hold of Barbara - and bear in mind it's still the biggest killer in the UK - she openly wanted... because of the person that she is, she's always put public before herself.

"That was the way that she grew up in show business. I think she went on stage when she was seven years old, and she's never really got off it until now, right?

"But she wanted to tell the story of her Alzheimer's and she wanted to make it public so that people would start talking about it, because a lot of people don't want to talk about it."

He added: "And it's not considered a medical issue presently. It's considered a social issue or a social care issue, so you've got 850,000 people with it and you've got 750,000 people who are primarily loved ones caring for those people."

Watch our full interview with Ross Kemp above.

Watch Living With Dementia Part 2 on Thursday 18 June from 7.30pm.