Dame Barbara Windsor's husband, Scott Mitchell, has given a heartbreaking update on the actress' health, saying that her Alzheimer's means that "life has changed drastically for her".
Scott says that the EastEnders icon often gets confused about where she is, and requires around the clock care.
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"She needs me all the time. Life has changed drastically for her," her husband of 18 years explained. "I have to tell Barbara where she is when she's in our front room. She asks if she's been there before."
He continued: "She realises she doesn't work any more and doesn't do the things she used to.
"The disease is shutting out her life and her memories. It's heartbreaking to watch."
However, he did add that they still share happy moments together, adding: "Me and Barbara don't just live in a state of continual misery.
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"We have chats, we laugh, we watch the telly, we make each other giggle. There's life still going on but of course there are difficult moments as well."
Appearing on Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Scott said he fears the day that his wife forgets who he is completely.
He explained: "I think it's when every memory will go, when on a constant basis, maybe one day Barbara won't know who I am. Inevitably one day she won't know who I am.
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"I've had it twice. I was helping her out of the bath and she just suddenly looked at me very scared and she said, 'I'm sorry, who are you?' And after 25 years it is heartbreaking, there's no words that can describe it."
Scott and some of Barbara's former EastEnders co-stars are running the London Marathon this year to raise £100,000 to raise funds for those also living with Alzheimer's.
He went on to explain that while his wife looked in good health in the Dementia Revolution fundraising video for the marathon, this isn't a true reflection of how things are for them and others living with the condition daily.
Scott said: "Let's put it this way, she gets herself together for moments like that.
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"When we go to the theatre for instance - something happens to Barbara when she's out, it's like her old self comes in, she sees the public, she speaks to everyone, she's in the theatre environment, and you see that part of her that comes alive because it's what she knows.
"I'd be doing a [disservice] to people going through the same thing if I didn't say that's not the reality, because it's not our reality. Our reality is for instance the last two weeks, her confusion is really bad. I spend a lot of time explaining where we are, she has a lot of trouble identifying our house.
"She'll say, 'Are we staying here tonight? Have we got clothes here?' That's the reality of what people living with dementia are going through and of course, those around them, as well."
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For more help and support on Alzheimer's or to donate, visit Dementia Revolution here.
Topics: Celebrity News, Eastenders