This is the story of Dame Barbara Windsor, the Cockney kid with a dazzling smile and talent to match. Preparing to perform in the theatre one cold evening in 1993, the cheeky, chirpy blonde Babs recounts the people and events that have shaped her life and career over fifty years from 1943 to 1993. She contemplates her lonely childhood and WWII evacuation; her decision to go from Barbara Ann Deeks to Barbara Windsor, inspired by the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; her complicated relationship with her father; her doomed marriage to Ronnie Knight; capturing the attention of theatre director Joan Littlewood; and becoming the blonde bombshell in the Carry On films. Babs, ever the consummate professional, never lets her fans down whatever her personal anguish and steps on the stage to rapturous applause.
This made-for-television film chronicles the life and career of the iconic British actress Barbara Windsor, from her early days as a child performer to her rise to stardom in the Carry On films and her enduring role as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders. It highlights her struggles with fame, relationships, and personal challenges, offering an intimate portrait of a beloved national treasure.
Babs received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its affectionate portrayal of Barbara Windsor's life and the performances of the actresses who played her at different ages. The film was noted for its warmth, humor, and emotional depth, celebrating Windsor's resilience and charisma.
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The film famously features three actresses playing Barbara Windsor at different stages of her life: Samantha Spiro as the adult Windsor, Jaime Winstone as the younger Windsor, and an older Barbara Windsor herself appears as herself in archive footage and as a narrator.
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