EastEnders fans will be disappointed to hear that the Queen Vic is about to lose its beloved matriarch. The inimitable Barbara Windsor, who plays landlady Peggy Mitchell, is being forced to take a lengthy break from the show due to health problems.
The actress has become a favourite with both British and US TV audiences, ever since she joined the London-based soap opera in 1994. The 65-year-old has been battling Epstein-Barr virus for several months, however, and has now decided to leave the show so that she can put all her energy into fighting the illness.
The notoriously unpredictable bug is actually one the most common viruses known to man. It is estimated that around 80 per cent of the population will have been exposed to it by the time they reach adulthood.
While it has little effect on children, it can cause glandular fever in adults and adolescents. And once contracted, the virus remains in the body for life and can flare up from time to time.
Doctors think a car crash last October may have reactivated Barbara's EBV, which probably lay dormant for many years beforehand. Thankfully, it is not life-threatening and it is expected Babs will return to Albert Square next year.
"Barbara has been a real trouper in working with the show despite her glandular fever and her overriding concern has been that the programme should not suffer," said EastEnders producer Louise Berridge. "We are more than happy to accommodate her need to rest and the entire cast and crew unite in sending her love and best wishes for a speedy recovery."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
