Former Emmerdale star Charley Webb has spoken emotionally about her mother Helen's battle with early-onset dementia, describing the experience as 'eight years of hell'. The actress, best known for playing Debbie Dingle, revealed that her mother was diagnosed a decade ago and has since moved into a care home.
Webb, who became an ambassador for Alzheimer's Research in 2023, said she first noticed symptoms when her mother began forgetting important financial matters. 'I thought this is quite serious,' she recalled. 'People were like you're just being dramatic, but I just knew.'
The 36-year-old admitted she initially struggled to speak publicly about the diagnosis due to her mother's desire for privacy. 'My mum was all about makeup and being glamorous,' she said. 'I can just hear her voice saying, Don't you tell people I've got that.'
Webb described the painful decline of her mother, who was 64 at diagnosis. 'She's like a little girl now. That's the hardest thing, because you grieve for the person they were.' She added that she felt 'never so alone' as when the diagnosis came.
The actress is now supporting Metro's Lifeline campaign for the Alzheimer's Society, which aims to raise funds for support services including Companion Calls to combat loneliness. 'One out of two of us will get dementia or care for someone with dementia,' she said. 'If we can do something about it now we should.'
