Editing Barbara Windsor (section)

===''EastEnders''===
{{Main|Peggy Mitchell}}
[[File:Peggy Mitchell Waxwork.png|thumb|upright|Waxwork of Windsor as [[Peggy Mitchell]] displayed in [[Blackpool]]]]
When ''[[EastEnders]]'' was launched in 1985, the producers said they would not cast well-known actors (although [[Wendy Richard]] was a rare exception). Windsor has said that she would have liked to have been part of the original cast.<ref>Hibbin, Sally and Nina Hibbin. ''What a Carry On: The Official Story of the Carry On Film series'', Hamlyn, 1988. {{ISBN|0-600-55819-3}} p. 43</ref> By 1994, this policy was relaxed, and Windsor accepted an offer to join ''EastEnders''. She took over the role of [[Peggy Mitchell]] (who was previously a minor character played by [[Jo Warne]] in 1991). Peggy was the widowed mother of established key characters Phil and Grant Mitchell, and younger sister Samantha. For this role, she received the [[British Soap Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] award at the [[1999 British Soap Awards]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/british-soap-awards/party-like-its-1999-recalling-the-first-british-soap-awards-320379/|title=Party like it's 1999 – Recalling the first British Soap Awards|work=[[What's on TV]]|access-date=25 January 2020|archive-date=25 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125211255/https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/british-soap-awards/party-like-its-1999-recalling-the-first-british-soap-awards-320379/|url-status=live}}</ref> and a [[British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement|Lifetime Achievement Award]] at the [[2009 British Soap Awards]].<ref name="Guardian Obit"/>

A debilitating case of the [[Epstein–Barr virus]] forced a two-year absence from the role between 2003 and 2005, although Windsor was able to make a two-episode guest appearance in 2004. She rejoined the cast full-time in the summer of 2005. In October 2009, Windsor announced she was to leave her role as Peggy Mitchell, saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband.<ref name="Barbara Windsor Quits EastEnders">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8329637.stm|title=Actress Windsor Quits EastEnders|work=BBC News|access-date=3 December 2009|location=United Kingdom | date=28 October 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091110012110/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8329637.stm| archive-date= 10 November 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> On 10 September 2010, her character left [[Albert Square]] after a fire destroyed [[the Queen Victoria]] pub, of which she was the owner.<ref>{{cite news|title=EastEnders' Peggy bowing out with explosive plot|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11241857|work=BBC News|date=9 September 2010|access-date=17 July 2019|archive-date=21 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721112014/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11241857|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2013, it was announced that Windsor was to return for one episode, which aired on 20 September 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Barbara Windsor in EastEnders 'special episode' return|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23229356|work=BBC News|date=9 July 2013|access-date=9 July 2013|archive-date=29 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029082251/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23229356|url-status=live}}</ref> She again returned for a single episode on 25 September 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-09-25/eastenders-spoilers-peggy-mitchell-returns---i-hope-it-was-a-nice-surprise-says-barbara-windsor|title=EastEnders spoilers: Peggy Mitchell returns – "I hope it was a nice surprise," says Barbara Windsor|work=Radio Times|date=25 September 2014|access-date=25 September 2014|archive-date=29 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929160312/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-09-25/eastenders-spoilers-peggy-mitchell-returns---i-hope-it-was-a-nice-surprise-says-barbara-windsor|url-status=live}}</ref> and made a further appearance for ''EastEnders'' 30th anniversary on 17 February 2015.<ref name="anniversary">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30377626|title=BBC News Barbara Windsor to return for EastEnders 30th anniversary|date=8 December 2014|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=22 January 2015|archive-date=28 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128121316/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30377626|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2015, Windsor, along with [[Pam St Clement]] ([[Pat Butcher|Pat Evans]]), took part in ''EastEnders: Back to Ours'' to celebrate 30 years of ''EastEnders''. Windsor and St. Clement looked back on some of their characters' most dramatic moments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05p9mwb|title=BBC Three – eastEnders:Back To Ours|publisher=BBC|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=3 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203202015/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05p9mwb|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2015, Windsor secretly filmed a return to ''EastEnders'', which was shown in January 2016. After this,  the character was confirmed to be killed off later in the year. This was Windsor's decision, as she said that she would always be open to a return to the show unless bosses decided to kill the character off.<ref name="EastEnders return">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35330329 | title=Dame Barbara Windsor to leave EastEnders for good | publisher=[[BBC]] | date=16 January 2016 | access-date=16 January 2016 | archive-date=16 January 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116005736/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35330329 | url-status=live }}</ref> Her last appearance aired on [[BBC One]] on 17 May 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/peggy-mitchell-s-finest-eastenders-moments-from-the-slaps-and-scraps-to-the-queen-vic-burning-down-a3250341.html|title=Peggy Mitchell's finest EastEnders moments: the best slaps and scraps|first=Ben Travis, Daniel|last=Orton|date=17 May 2016|website=www.standard.co.uk|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213161958/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/peggy-mitchell-s-finest-eastenders-moments-from-the-slaps-and-scraps-to-the-queen-vic-burning-down-a3250341.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 25 January 2022, by which time Windsor had died, an episode aired in which Peggy's son [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]) hears his mother's voice giving him advice. The scene was made using archived audio from previous episodes.<ref name="OK">{{cite news|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/eastenders-viewers-fight-back-tears-26053135|title=EastEnders viewers fight back tears as Peggy Mitchell 'returns' to BBC soap|last=Ison|first=Rianne|date=January 26, 2022|work=[[OK!]]|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref>