Dame Barbara Windsor delivered a moving video message at Thursday night's Good Morning Britain's first-ever 1 Million Minutes Awards, and the footage was shown on Friday during Good Morning Britain. The actress, who has Alzheimer’s disease, awarded Danny Brown the inaugural Dame Barbara Windsor Award - an accolade for someone who has helped people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia combat loneliness.
In the video, the former EastEnders actress told Danny: "Volunteers like you are so important in the fight against loneliness, especially for those like us, who know all too well the struggles of a cruel illness. Your dedication to helping others has not only helped bring your community together, but brought much-needed attention to the valuable cause."
© Photo: ITVBarbara appeared on GMB
She added: "And doing all this at the same time as living with dementia yourself, is truly inspirational. Thank you Danny, and congratulations again. God bless." The 82-year-old then sweetly blew Danny a kiss.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesBarbara and her husband Scott
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Danny was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014 and struggled with the diagnosis, even making plans to end his life. But after contacting the Alzheimer's Society, he got support, became involved in volunteering and he hasn’t looked back. He has visited schools, churches, shopping centres and even a cinema to raise awareness about dementia.
Sadly, Barbara's Alzheimer’s disease has worsened over the last few months. Her husband Scott Mitchell recently told the Sunday Mirror: "Constantly, she does not realise where we are, even in the house. She will ask me, 'When are we going home?' Sometimes she will ask me about people who have already passed away, as if they are still here. That is something she does regularly about her own parents. It is a very difficult one. Barbara will often say to me: 'Do you know how to get in touch with my mum? I'd like to have a chat with her. I haven't seen her for ages, I need to see her.'"
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