Dame Barbara Windsor gets "too confused" to attend any big events anymore

Barbara's friend Christopher Biggins told the Daily Mirror newspaper that the 82-year-old former 'Carry On...' star is "hanging in there" amid her diagnosis.

He added: "Barbara is never going to be 100 per cent. It is a terrible disease and is awful for her and everyone involved.

"She is still able to get out and about sometimes but I don’t think she would be able to go to a big event any more.

"It would be too much for her. She’d get too confused. She gets upset when she is confused and doesn’t quite know what’s going on."

And, although the disease - which is a progressive condition that affects multiple brain functions - has got worse over the past two years, Barbara still recognises Biggins.

He explained: "I saw her about a week ago at home. She has always recognised me and she still knows who I am. But I don’t want people to end up just remembering Barbara for the disease. She is doing so much good.

"She has done so much in her life and had a fantastic career. I don’t want people to forget that – that is the heartbreaking thing for me."

Barbara's husband Scott Mitchell - who cares for her at their home - recently said that she's still got a sense of humour.

He said: "The thing that we know about dementia and Alzheimer's is that it's a progressive illness, so you know you're heading in one direction. So, yes, things progress but she still has that wonderful sense of humour, she can still laugh and have a giggle and watch telly, and we go out occasionally. Whenever we get an invitation what I say is let's say yes but I will let you know on the day if we're going to be there or not, and it's totally dependent on how Barbara is. We have the odd days out, we went to Downing Street and she was shouting at all the photographers and told them to behave themselves.

"Music helps, that's a very common thing. That's the thing about music and dementia it triggers the brain."