The husband of Coronation Street actress Julie Goodyear has said she is 'slowly fading away' following her dementia diagnosis. Scott Brand told The Mirror that he misses his 'fun-loving wife' and described watching her deterioration as 'extremely painful'.
Goodyear, 81, is best known for playing the leopard-print-loving barmaid Bet Lynch on the ITV soap from 1966 to 2003. Brand, 55, publicly shared her diagnosis last summer and is now speaking out to support a new Alzheimer's Society campaign.
The campaign, titled 'The Long Goodbye', features a TV advert voiced by actor Colin Firth. It highlights the brutal reality of dementia, describing how the disease causes people to 'die again, and again, and again'. Brand said his wife now struggles to recognise people and has lost interest in her appearance, including her trademark leopard print clothing.
Brand has given up work to become Goodyear's full-time carer. He admitted he initially tried to manage alone but soon realised he needed help, saying: 'Caring for Julie is my priority, but my health was being affected and as a lone carer I felt it was killing me.' The Alzheimer's Society has provided a Dementia Advisor to support him.
Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer's Society, said the campaign 'seeks to tell the unvarnished truth about the devastation caused by dementia' and emphasised that the charity's support services are available to help those affected by the condition.
