Jake Wood has announced his first art exhibition to support Dementia UK, where he will honour his late close friend and former co-star Dame Barbara Windsor with a special print. The EastEnders actor, 53, who met the Carry On legend while starring as Max Branning on the BBC One soap, will showcase his artistic flair with pieces that 'celebrate defining figures in British culture'.
Exhibition Details
Jake's long-time friend and mentor Dame Barbara passed away in 2020, aged 83, after a battle with dementia. The soap star announced the exhibition on social media while giving his followers an insight into his latest artworks. On proud display was a print of Dame Barbara, laughing away, with the image laid over the top of street art and graffiti.
The announcement read: 'Exhibition Announcement — Jake Wood: ICONS Indelible Fine Art presents an invite-only exhibition from actor and artist Jake Wood. ICONS introduces a new body of work celebrating defining figures in British culture - people who have shaped identity, history, and public memory. At the centre of the exhibition, timed alongside VE Day, is Winston Churchill - a figure deeply tied to both national history and Brighton itself. The exhibition also supports Dementia UK, a cause close to Jake's heart following the experience of his close friend and co-star Barbara Windsor. It's a reminder of the very real human stories behind public figures - and the importance of continued support and research.'
10 percent of the sales will be donated to Dementia UK, which offers vital support for families affected by the disease.
Portrait of Barbara Windsor
Speaking about his portrait of Barbara, Jake told the Daily Mirror: 'My portrait of Barbara was really about capturing her absolute joy and her light. She had this incredible energy; I just wanted the painting to feel like her, that effect she had on everyone when she walked into a room.' The print drew inspiration from the actress a decade ago in 2016, when she received her Damehood, having already been diagnosed with dementia. Jake explained: 'You can see her personality in that photo and I've enhanced it with the colours I've put around it.'
Jake's Bond with Barbara
Speaking about Barbara and their close bond, Jake told The Sun in 2021: 'Barbara really supported me when I first started. She put an arm around me, if you like, and I will be forever grateful for everything she did for me.' He added that the soap icon was 'very generous' and gave him some touching advice when he was starting out in the business. 'Her advice was don't change anything about who you are or what you do or where you go. I took that to heart, and as a family we continued to live life as normal, to navigate life as normal, not take it all too seriously.'
Barbara's Legacy
Following Barbara's death, her widower Scott Mitchell was left £4.6million in her will, with the star donating to several charities. The NSPCC, Breast Cancer Care, Help The Aged, Grand Order Of Lady Ratlings, National Osteoporosis Society, Headley Court (a wounded soldiers rehab centre) and Age UK made up the seven charities that Barbara left £1000 each to. The actress was married three times in her life, first to Ronnie Knight in 1964 then to Stephen Hollings for nine years before divorcing in 1995.
Scott, who has since found love with Barbara's former EastEnders co-star Tanya Franks, previously said he 'still wakes up in panic' thinking of his late wife. Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Scott admitted: 'I still wake in terror. I still have moments - this morning I was quite emotional - where I just miss her. That doesn't change. I think it will be with me forever. I would like to believe she would be happy that someone was there by my side and that I wasn't on my own. She always used to say to me, 'I never want you to be on your own.'' Scott and Tanya initially bonded through their work with the Alzheimer's Society and were close friends for years before their relationship turned romantic. Reflecting on his ongoing grief, Scott said: 'I don't think anyone ever gets over a loss of someone they love so deeply. I think we find ways of carrying them with us, and that's what I try to do every day.'
