Dame Barbara Windsor 'recovering really well' after heart operation

The 81-year-old had a pacemaker fitted following complications with the medication she has been taking for Alzheimer's.

Her husband, Scott Mitchell, told The Sun the EastEnders star spent eight days in hospital last month after fainting at home.

Mitchell, 55, said: "Barbara was suffering from a low heart rate which doctors thought was being caused by some of her medication.

"She was getting very dizzy and short of breath and fainted one day at home, so she had an eight-day hospital spell about four weeks ago and they've put in a pacemaker for her.

"But she's recovering really well and is looking forward to getting out on the town again soon."

Meanwhile, Ross Kemp, who played son Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, visited the Carry On star in June.

He told the newspaper that the actress was "as vibrant as ever" but "her short-term memory has gone".

"One minute she knows who I am then she asks 'Why are you here?' The thing about dementia is that the polite filter is gone ... Luckily, she says she still likes me, which is a relief."

Dame Barbara, who played Walford matriarch Peggy Mitchell, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014.