Ross Kemp: "She's as vibrant as ever but her short-term memory has gone."

Ross Kemp this week opened up to The Sun newspaper about Dame Barbara Windsor's battle with Alzheimer's.

Kemp, who played EastEnders' Grant Mitchell, revealed that Barbara sometimes forgets who he is when he visits her: "She's as vibrant as ever but her short-term memory has gone," he said.

"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.

"It's a bit like being a child again because you just say it how it is. Luckily, she says she still likes me, which is a relief."

Barbara's husband Scott revealed in May this year the star is battling the disease, and had been privately for four years.

"It's horrible to deal with but she's still the same Babs we know and love," Ross said.

"I can't praise her and her husband Scott enough for their bravery and grace in handling her diagnosis. "It's a testament to their love for each other that they have managed to stick together through it."

Earlier this year, Ross spoke to Good Morning Britain about the relationship with his on-screen mum: "I went round for a cup of tea and I had five cups of tea, three shortbread biscuits that I'm not supposed to have on my diet, and I laughed – a lot. I was there for three and a half hours!" he said.

"She's got this great ability when she walks through that front door, she's just on. When I came round, it's like seeing my second mum."

EastEnders, BBC One

It was revealed earlier this week that Barbara underwent heart surgery due to apparent complications to the medication she's taking. Babs is said to be recovering well.

For more details about Alzheimer's, please visit the Alzheimer's Society website.