Terrible news has been announced by the BBC: Barbara Windsor is leaving EastEnders. She has said she wants to spend more time with family.
Barbara Windsor has become one of the nation’s most-loved television matriarchs ruling the Mitchells with an iron fist and a heart of gold. She was awarded an MBE in 1999 and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards in May this year.
She said of her departure: "EastEnders has been wonderful to me and it’s no secret that it changed my life all of those years ago. I’ll be so sad to leave Peggy behind; she’s such a wonderful character to play. I have had the pleasure of working with a marvellous cast and crew and have made many lasting good friends. To have had the honour of showing the Queen around the set is something that will stay with me forever.”
The star added: "I would like to thank the BBC for the incredible opportunity they gave me and above all, I must thank the wonderful viewers for their support over the years. I’m looking forward to the future and I suppose when all’s said and done, I should spend a bit more time with my old man, as he’s not getting any younger."
She’s due to depart for good in 2010 and it’ll be a very sad day for fans of the Mitchell family: no Grant (played by Ross Kemp) and very soon, no Peggy. Barbara Windsor made her stage debut at the age of 13 and her West End debut in 1952. Her first film role was in The Belles of St Trinian’s in 1954. But she’s best known for the Carry On films; she starred in nine – beginning with Carry On Spying and ending with Carry On Dick, between 1964 and 1977.
That’s it for me, I’m out of here. Join me on Friday for more soap news and gossip and don’t forget to try this week’s caption competition
Got a comment about your favourite soap, this blog or anything else? Share it with me.
Official Sites
Coronation Street
Emmerdale
EastEnders
Hollyoaks
Ms Bubbles
MSN’s Eye On Soaps
Share It
 del.icio.us |
 Digg |
 Facebook |
 Google |
 Live Spaces |
 MySpace |
 Newsvine |
 Reddit |
 StumbleUpon |
 Technorati |
 Twitter |
 Yahoo! My Web |
MSN TV Blog: A Slice Of Soap 
glad she\’s leaving to be honest, peggy has always got on my nerves. best the actress goes now anyway-the soap is un-watchable now, the story lines are laughable (eg. death of danielle and heathers baby) only good thing in it recently was the portrayal of stacey and jean-their relationship and battle with mental health-very well acted and very moving.
Agree with becky, peggy is like a living fossil
Sorry to see Barbara go – shes one of the good actors in the show..but she has been working since aged 13 time for herslef and family..
Sorry to see her go , but – drinks on the ouse?
YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CAN\’T STAND HER ANY WAY, I FOR ONE WON\’T MISS HER, SHE CAME INTO THE SOAP AND TOOK OVER, I BET SOME OF THE CAST MEMBERS ARE GLAD LOL
final nail in eastenders coffin
I think it\’s ridiculous Peggy Mitchell is leaving Eastenders, it\’s her alongside the other Mitchells who make that show altogether. With Grant already gone. Peggy and Phil carried that show so I don\’t know what\’s going to happen now that Peggy\’s leaving. Phil is gonna have a hard job on his hands, I\’ve been watching Eastenders since I was 3yrs old 16 yrs later I\’m still watching it. I think the Slaters, Beales and Masoods will be the stars of the show now…
its a shame she going but it soap land and some other actress will be morfed in to peggy its been done with sam and other people in other soaps
Damn, now tht shes gonna go, archie..(or janie) is going to get the pub…or wil jack and phil team up… and get the pub?
Get rid of the whole silly programe
Anne wrote:I will be very sory to see Barbara go, my Husband & I met her sixteen years ago when she was apprearing at music hall and she signed her book for us it was just before we got married and she wished us the best of luck, she was really genuine, she will be sadly missed
AWW I will miss you Barbara! all the best for the future!
Walford will not be the same without you Barbara your a part of Eastenders and will be sadly missed
Maybe Barbara could return to Eastenders now and again. It would not be the same without her!
Never thought the programme would ever be the same after Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) then we got Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) so how do you top that – come on producers who will be the next landlady of the Queen Vic – it had better be good!!!!!
i really enjoyed peggy and i miss her phrase \’Git aaahhhhwwwta mah pub\’. babra was great at playing peggy helping every one out and being generouse to every one. i dont want her to leave her role as peggy in eastenders but it was wonderful watching her act and make eastenders a fab soap.
You will be missed Peggy Mitchell! The Square will not be the same without you.
Always thought Barbara Windsor was a one trick pony and after watching her in Eastenders it comfirmed it. Sorry but she should have stuck to the \’Carry On Films. Just watch her limited facial movements and you will see what I mean. Never ever was she a convincing Peggy Mitchell. Wailing \’Wheres Gwant and My fill\’ or \’Git owt of my pub\’ is hardly stretching her talents. Red her biography and you will see she is NOT the lovely lady people think she is.Total me me me. Good riddance. She\’ll be back when the bank balance goes down.Just like all the others that leave and then return \’cos they can\’t get work.
If eastenders kill her off then we will kill eastenders!
How I agree with David Slater. Can\’t she go now?
OH MY GOD CANT BELIEVE BARBARA WINDSOR LEAVING EASTENDERS NEXT YEAR, SHE MAKES THE SHOW…..
About time too. Can\’t say I will be sorry to see her go.
O.o OMG!!shes the best one in the show fgs!!yu cant let her go
nd well said anna btw ^^
ahh that sucks shes leaving, why couldnt they axe Daniella \’cokehead Westbrook and give Barbara a huge bonus to stay!such a shame shes leaving 😦
What a shame!! If she must go then let it be a nice happy ending and don\’t kill her off. Good luck for the future Barbara.
aww thts sweet beryl =))
i will miss u pegg i have eastenders in my life as long as i can remember my watch it and love it to day she die and i hope that pegg has a good send off miss u for eva pegg estednder will not be the same with out u and pat have a fall
Frank say\’s, it is a pitty to see her go, but if she wants to spend more time with her family, ho are we to deny her this, good luck peggy, and i hope that you enjoy your retirement, you really do deserve it especially after all the Films you were in, that made all of laugh until our sides split, onc again Peggy good luck.
I\’m glad she\’s going – never did like Barbara Windsor or her character Peggy Mitchell – let\’s hope we\’ll see less of her nowPat
Of course its time she went. Well past her sell by date. She should now get a life in the real world. The whole show needs an update or be scrapped.
noooooooooo i love peggy ,, dont want her 2 goooo 😦 ,,i love the way she stands up 4 her family and thats how it should be.. Any way she is an amazing actoress and we will miss her. Wish her best her her family time and hope she has a lovely future ahead of her
i am so sorry to hear that barbara winsor is leaving eastenders. I have been a big fan of the show and of babs since i was very small. It will be a very sad day when she leaves and i would like to wish her all the love and happiness in the world. I will miss u babs xxx
im very very sad 2 c that barbara (peggy) is eaving eastenders. wat i will miss about her most is \’GET OUTA MA PUB\’.
DougWhat is all the fuss about, she should have retired years ago. Get a life you lot, she is only an actor, and not a very good one,at that.
what?! its a soap none of them are that good, shes one of the good ones! its sad, its the end of an era. but i think her reasons are good. 😦 shame tho
Really sad to hear the news of Barbara Windsors departure, the Soap will not be the same without her, I am really shocked, part of the fixtures and fittings just doesn\’t come into it. She is a great character and will be greatly missed but deserves some well earned rest with her family.
im with doug astle (see below) on this one.its way past the time she should have gone!maybe we will get someone with more than two facial expressions!
She is a gr8 character. but it is time to leave and let the youg actor to have a chance to glow.
I hope she gets out and stays out, better still, take the whole program off and make way for some decent programs with actors in them.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I just feel so sorry for her \’real life, old man\’, having her back at home again during the week. I bet he\’ll be hitting the bottle, big time, at the news. Anyway, let\’s all hope she leaves her wig behind for her \’soap son\’ Phil to wear in future episodes…it\’s about time we all saw a bit more of his feminine side, eh Phil….mate ? : )
My actually start to watch it again now that Mrs think shes wonderful is leaving. Never understood why we were wasting licence fees paying her silly amounts of money in the first place!
I really couldn\’t care less. There are far more important things in life to worry about than WHAT EVER actor it is leaving a programme which is well past its sell by date any how.
sad to see her leave she is a legend. love her ineastenders and love her more in the carry ons x
She will be missed , sad to see her go ,she is an important part of east enders. all the best barbara.
oh no its a real shame peggys going if it wasnt for her eastenders wouldnt be what it is today dont leave barbra windsor xxxxxxxxxxxxx
will not miss her at all. put bianca behind the bar then we will have some fun and games…….
i m goin 2 miss barbara who play peggy mitchell she a great actress in eastenders & other programmes. hpe she hve a good time with her family & spent most of it bless her 🙂
I\’m really sad to hear the news that babs is leaving, i think she will be sorely missed by us the viewer, she has become integral to the show over the years and can\’t think who wll be able to take overte queen vic, what an act to have to follow, small lady big shoes! I wish her luck for he future, and look forward to seeing her make appearances in other things hopefully.
Sad – Don\’t think so. People & young soldiers being blown up all over the world. Eastenders I can live without – Wouldn\’t waste by brain watching it. Watch discovery – at least it\’s about the real world.
Please get rid of tony, his story line has gone on far too long, he needs some acting lessons! Please can we have a couple of good looking men, since liam show sadly lacking apart from jason who is portrayed as a bit thick, we need someone who is a strong actor but also good to look at, surely that\’s not too much to ask! No wonder Eastenders is winning all the awards! Seriously who\’s idea was it to pair tony and maria? Corrie could wipe the floor with Eastenders if the cast was improved, someone please have the courage!
I stopped watching Enders when b windsor joined, terrible actress,like pauline, might start watching again..jeni
Glad she is leaving!! She is a scrubber in life as well as the soap. Hated her in the Carry On films; cheap and nasty. Never watched Eastenders, banned my children from watching it too.It is the dregs. And she is the typical of all I abhore
I am really sad to hear that Barbara windsor is leaving, I enjoyed watching her and pat having their moments. I thinks babs is a great actress & the show will lose something when she goes. Thankyou Barbara windsor for your time on eastenders you were a joy to watch. I love the show & will continue to watch it 🙂
But who will shout at her "get out of my pub"I will miss her she was a loving lady who has been threw so much in Eastenders. Coping from cancer , helping her boys get out of trouble. Finding out her daughter buired the sexy den watts aka leslie grantham. Shes a sex bomb and she should do the thing she loves most… im sure she can find time to do both.Love you babsXxXx
aaww it wont be the same without her. 😦 im such a saddo!!
can\’t believe peggy is leaving she is the best star in eastenders, eastenders isn\’t going to be the same without her. hope she has a good future. going to miss you peggy
people should really start respecting people for who they are it not all about the young actresses in eastenders. peggy has been there for years now and should have nice comments about her
I can\’t believe there\’s people leaving cruel comments – I mean If you don\’t like her why waste your own time leaving nasty comments for her ?She\’s a normal person , not some posh Helen mirren , she\’s has made many of Eastenders greatest moments and will be one of their most memorable charachters.Just hope they let her shout "get out my pub!" on her last episode – that be the note to finish on.Still Eastenders also has many other great actors ( lacey turner being the first to spring to mind ) , so though i\’ll miss her the show will go on .
I read Barbara\’s book of her life story when I was in hospital and it made me happy to be alive. Good luck to you Barbara……………….. enjoy your time with the family. However Eastenders won\’t be the same without you.
Shock! Barbara Windsor\’s leaving EastEnders about bloody time too she can\’t act the only thing she was good for and that was the Carry on films ever since she came into Eastenders she has always acted like the mother of the Kray twins with fat Phil and the other one Grant.Why the hell do the Mitchell family rule Albert Square is beyond me. Everyone is scared of the family and the show is run like a gang land show, well it i stopped watching Eastenders six months ago as the show has to much bullying and why do they always shout at each other?Christ sake take the soap off the air it\’s past it\’s sell buy date and nothing is modern all dark inside the houses on the square I know that it is a stage set but come on get real what goes on in this soap doesn\’t happen in the real world it\’s too over dramatised and the scripts are really apalling well thats my moan for the day and good ridance to Barbara Windsor.
Eastenders wont be the smae without peggy its a shock to me and i think shes the one who made the whole show come together and more exciting anyway good luck to her and her future
about time too, the women is over seventy for gods sake she has had too good for to long.Give others a chance.
When they say she\’s goin next year can they make it early January and can she take Bruce Forsyth with her,
eastenders won\’t be the same without peggy
Come on, her acting is very poor, way below the standards of most of the others. It\’s amazing that with all her experience, she\’s still outshone by young actors like those who play Libby and Tam. "Go on, sling yer hook" I say.
i wll miss peggy so much.its just would not be the same :\'(
I don\’t like Eastenders but I now that Eastenders will not be the same without Peggy. She is in almost every episode or all episodes so is seen a lot. My sister will miss her in Eastenders bcause she watches every episode