Stephen Hollings Biography: Barbara Windsor’s Ex-Husband

Stephen Hollings is best known as the second husband of the late British actress Dame Barbara Windsor. A chef by profession, Hollings married Windsor in 1986, several years after her divorce from her first husband, Ronnie Knight.

The couple also went into business together, opening a pub and restaurant in Buckinghamshire. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1995. While Windsor remained one of Britain's best-known entertainers through her roles in the Carry On films and EastEnders, Hollings largely stayed away from the public spotlight.

Early Life & Background

Reliable public information about Stephen Hollings' early life is limited.

Established sources identify him as a chef, with The Guardian describing him as a chef and reporting that he was from Yorkshire. Other reporting has described him as considerably younger than Windsor.

Details such as his exact birth date, parents, childhood and education are not sufficiently documented in authoritative sources and are therefore not included here.

Education

Stephen Hollings' educational background has not been reliably documented by major established sources.

There is no sufficiently strong evidence to identify a particular school, college or culinary institution he attended.

Career & Business

Career as a chef

Hollings worked as a chef before and during his marriage to Barbara Windsor. His professional identity became publicly known largely because of his relationship with the actress and their business venture together.

Unlike Windsor, Hollings did not establish a long-running public entertainment career. The available sources do not provide enough information to construct a detailed list of restaurants, employers, awards or culinary achievements.

Restaurant business with Barbara Windsor

Hollings and Windsor went into business together after their marriage. They bought and operated a pub and restaurant in Buckinghamshire, with reports placing the business in the Amersham area.

The business struggled financially. In later reflections on her life, Windsor said the collapse of the venture contributed to substantial debts and described the period as financially difficult. The Guardian reported that the failure of the pub and restaurant coincided with the breakdown of their marriage.

The experience was significant in Windsor's personal history because it occurred before her major EastEnders success. She later became one of the BBC soap's most recognizable stars as Peggy Mitchell.

Marriage to Barbara Windsor

Stephen Hollings and Barbara Windsor married on April 12, 1986, in Jamaica. At the time, Windsor was already a major British entertainment figure, known particularly for the Carry On films and her stage work.

Hollings was substantially younger than Windsor. Contemporary and later sources differ slightly over the exact age gap, describing him as roughly 18 to 20 years younger.

Their relationship attracted attention partly because of the age difference and because Windsor was already a household name.

The couple subsequently ran their Buckinghamshire pub and restaurant together. The venture ultimately failed, and the financial difficulties became part of Windsor's later recollections of the marriage.

Divorce

Hollings and Windsor divorced in 1995, bringing their nine-year marriage to an end. ITV News and the Irish Independent both identify 1995 as the year of their divorce.

Windsor later described the relationship in her autobiographical writing and interviews, but the details of their private marriage should be treated as her recollections rather than independently established facts.

Following the divorce, Windsor eventually married actor and recruitment consultant Scott Mitchell in 2000. The couple remained together until Windsor's death in 2020.

Personal Life

Stephen Hollings has maintained a relatively private life since his divorce from Windsor.

Most publicly documented information about him concerns his marriage to Windsor and their shared restaurant business. There is limited reliable reporting about his later relationships, family circumstances, residence or professional activities.

He should therefore primarily be described through the facts that are well established: his career as a chef, his marriage to Barbara Windsor and their joint business venture.

Stephen Hollings' Age

Stephen Hollings' exact date of birth has not been reliably established by authoritative public sources.

Sources consistently indicate that he was significantly younger than Barbara Windsor, with estimates generally putting the age difference at approximately 18 to 20 years. Because his precise birth date is not securely documented, his exact age is not stated here.

Net Worth

There is no credible public estimate of Stephen Hollings' personal net worth.

Although reports discuss the financial difficulties surrounding his restaurant business with Windsor, those accounts do not provide a reliable basis for calculating his personal wealth. A specific net-worth figure would therefore be speculative.

Interesting Facts About Stephen Hollings

1. Stephen Hollings was a chef before and during his marriage to Barbara Windsor.
2. He married Barbara Windsor on April 12, 1986, in Jamaica.
3. Hollings was considerably younger than Windsor; established sources generally describe the age gap as around 18 to 20 years.
4. He and Windsor operated a pub and restaurant in Buckinghamshire.
5. Their business struggled financially and eventually collapsed, according to accounts of Windsor's life.
6. Hollings and Windsor divorced in 1995 after approximately nine years of marriage.

FAQs

Who is Stephen Hollings?

Stephen Hollings is a British chef best known publicly as the second husband of actress Barbara Windsor. They married in 1986 and divorced in 1995.

What did Stephen Hollings do for a living?

Hollings worked as a chef. He and Windsor also operated a pub and restaurant together in Buckinghamshire.

When did Stephen Hollings marry Barbara Windsor?

Stephen Hollings and Barbara Windsor married on April 12, 1986, in Jamaica.

When did Stephen Hollings and Barbara Windsor divorce?

The couple divorced in 1995 after approximately nine years of marriage.

Did Stephen Hollings and Barbara Windsor have children?

No. Barbara Windsor did not have children. Established biographical sources record no children from her marriage to Hollings.

Did Stephen Hollings and Barbara Windsor own a restaurant?

Yes. The couple bought and operated a pub and restaurant in Buckinghamshire. The business eventually failed and contributed to financial difficulties described in later accounts of Windsor's life.

Where is Stephen Hollings now?

Reliable public sources provide little current information about Hollings' life or activities. He has largely remained outside the public eye since his divorce from Windsor.

Conclusion

Stephen Hollings is remembered primarily as Barbara Windsor's second husband and as the chef who entered a business partnership with the celebrated actress. Their 1986 marriage included a joint pub and restaurant venture in Buckinghamshire, but the business struggled and the couple divorced in 1995.

Beyond those documented chapters, relatively little reliable information is available about Hollings' private life. Keeping his biography focused on verifiable facts provides a more accurate picture than repeating unsupported claims about his age, finances or later career.