Charley Webb's Heartbreaking Dementia Confession: 'I've Never Felt So Alone'
Former Emmerdale star Charley Webb has broken down in tears while discussing her mother Helen's decade-long battle with early-onset dementia, describing the experience as profoundly isolating. The 37-year-old actress, who played Debbie Dingle on the ITV soap from 2002 to 2021, publicly revealed her mother's diagnosis in 2023, ten years after Helen was diagnosed at just 64 years old.
The Emotional Toll of Diagnosis
Appearing on The Mail's The Life Of Bryony podcast, Webb became visibly emotional as she recounted receiving the devastating news. 'I don't think I've ever felt so alone as when that diagnosis happened,' she confessed, her voice breaking with emotion. The actress explained she had kept her mother's condition private for years before deciding to speak out to support Alzheimer's Research UK, for which she serves as an ambassador.
'I felt selfish not talking about it because I knew how alone I'd felt,' Webb revealed. 'So I thought if I can just do a little bit more for the charity, I really want to do that.'
Conflicting Emotions and Family Privacy
The actress described feeling torn between her desire to raise awareness and her mother's likely wishes for privacy. 'My mum was a funny character, very glamorous,' Webb explained. 'And I can just hear her voice in the back of my head saying, "Don't you tell people that I've got that! I do not want people to know". That's just the way she was.'
Webb continued: 'My mum was all about makeup and being glamorous and I just felt like I wanted to protect her privacy. Even though she wouldn't have known that it was being spoken about, I think in the back of my mind, I was like she would hate this.'
The Struggle of Visits and Grieving Process
In one of the most raw moments of the interview, Webb admitted she finds visiting her mother, who now lives in a care home with round-the-clock support, incredibly difficult. 'I have to be honest, and I know this is controversial. But I really struggle to go see my mum without getting upset,' she said, becoming overcome with emotion.
'It's hard, it's not the person that you love,' Webb continued, covering her face with her hands as tears overwhelmed her. 'Sorry I didn't expect to get so emotional. But it's not the mum that you know or love.'
The actress candidly acknowledged feeling 'selfish' because she doesn't enjoy visits, instead finding them painful reminders of what has been lost. 'My sister is so much better than me, she finds it so uplifting when she sees her,' Webb explained. 'And I feel selfish, because I'm literally like, "Oh God I've got to go see my mum".'
Understanding Early-Onset Dementia
According to Dementia UK, dementia represents a degeneration of the brain that causes progressive decline in thinking, reasoning, communication and memory. Early-onset dementia occurs when symptoms develop between ages 35 and 65, affecting not just cognitive abilities but also personality, behaviour and mood.
Webb first discussed her mother's diagnosis publicly during a 2023 appearance on This Morning, where she detailed how her family had been through 'hell' as they were forced to 'grieve for the person' her mother once was. She described noticing early symptoms when her mother, who had been heavily involved in her career, began forgetting important matters.
The Reality of Dementia Progression
'She's like a little girl now,' Webb revealed about her mother's current state. 'It's taken me a long time to be able to talk about it, it's such a personal and big thing but it feels like now is the right time.'
The actress also addressed what she called 'the most annoying question' people ask following her mother's diagnosis: inquiries about how her mum is doing. While acknowledging people's good intentions, Webb lamented that 'there is no answer' to give. 'You're not going to be able to say, "Oh she's doing really well," because she's not doing really well,' she explained. 'It's an illness where they don't get better. So, it's like you have the same conversation on a loop.'
Call for Better Support Systems
Webb emphasized the need for improved support for families dealing with dementia, revealing her own family received little help during the early stages. 'There was no support, no help, it was shocking actually,' she said. 'And for me and my siblings it has been eight years of hell.'
The actress highlighted the broader societal impact of dementia, noting that 'one out of two of us will get dementia or care for someone with dementia.' She expressed hope that by speaking openly about her experience, she might help others feel less isolated in similar circumstances.
'You get the diagnosis and you're left to your own devices,' Webb observed. 'And I worry about people who don't have family or siblings. We're really lucky. Support needs to get so much better.'
Despite anticipating judgment for her honest admissions about struggling with her mother's illness, Webb believes others going through similar experiences will understand. 'I think a lot of people find it harder than they let on,' she concluded. 'It's not an easy thing to watch.'
