Barbara Windsor (born Barbara-Ann Deeks on August 6, 1937, in Shoreditch, London) is a British actress.

Her first film appearance was in The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954), and then later came to prominence in the British film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963) garnering a Bafta nomination for Best British Film Actress. She then went on to become a star with her saucy portrayals of a good time girl in some 9 Carry On films and several TV specials, between 1964 and 1978. She also starred on Broadway in the play Oh, What a Lovely War and received a 1968 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

After a gradual fall from the top, which also saw her husband, Ronnie Knight (married 1964-1985), flee to Spain on Bank robbery charges, she considered quitting acting. However in 1994 she was offered the plum role of Peggy Mitchell in the popular BBC drama series EastEnders, this saw her regain past glories and come to be seen as something of a 'British Institution'. After a debilitating case of the Epstein-Barr virus saw her take a two year long absence from the screen in 2003, she is due back in the spring of 2005.

She was awarded an MBE in 1999 by the British Government and won the first Rear of the year title in 1976. She was also married to Stephen Hollings (1986-1995), and more recently to Scott Mitchell (2000-). During her first marriage, she had an affair with Sid James, and her biography states the details after 1973.

Records: The More I See You (1999), a duet with Mike Reid, reached #44 in the UK Charts.

External links

• Internet Movie Database profile