Julie Goodyear’s heartbroken husband has told of his pain as he watches the beloved Coronation Street star “slowly fade away” following her dementia diagnosis.
The glamorous actress who became a household name as the Rovers Return’s no-nonsense landlady Bet Lynch, announced she was living with the disease last June. Now her husband, Scott Brand, has described their turmoil as Julie’s trademark leopard print outfits and colourful lipsticks have been left behind as the 81-year-old deteriorates.
He said: “I miss the fun-loving wife that Julie had always been – the larger-than-life personality that brightened up everywhere she went, and the smile that lit up every room. All of this is now slowly fading away and it’s extremely painful for me to watch this deterioration. Julie now struggles recognising people and everyone she meets is called ‘Scott’.
He added: “Julie has always been extremely glamorous, going nowhere without her makeup. But now the lipsticks and make-up go unworn, and clothes are no longer of interest, especially the leopard print.”
Julie became a household name as the Rovers Return’s no-nonsense landlady Bet Lynch (DAILY EXPRESS)
Julie and husband Scott on The Alzheimer's Society Manchester Memory Walk in Manchester (Thousand Word Media/Antony Thompson)The couple, who tied the knot in 2007, met when Scott delivered some plaster to help renovate Julie’s home near Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Joining Corrie in 1966, Julie’s character became one of the best loved on the cobbles until she left in November 2003 and was awarded an MBE for her services to drama in 1996.
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Now Julie relies on a wheelchair to be mobile and Scott, 55, told how he longs for the days they spent enjoying romantic meals, holidays and walking hand in hand. He said: “One of the biggest things is our holidays. Julie loved going away and would always look forward to our adventures together, but this has now stopped. We no longer go away, and I can no longer go away either as I would never leave Julie.”
After giving up his career to become Julie’s full time carer, Scott realised the small freedoms he had previously taken for granted like having a drink or watching the football with pals. “All these things now have to be planned in advance, and you can be so exhausted that it’s not worth the effort to go. I’m now aware that if there was an emergency, and I needed to drive, I wouldn’t be able to – so alcohol is off limits.”
Julie was awarded an MBE for her services to drama in 1996 (Press Association)
Julie joined Coronation Street in 1966 (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)He went on: “For me, the hardest part was accepting and coming to terms with the diagnosis. At the beginning I refused to accept any support, thinking I could cope as we have always been quite private people. This, in reality, didn’t last for long and I soon realised I needed to ask for help as I couldn’t do it by myself. I wasn’t coping and needed to seek support. Caring for Julie is my priority, but my health was being affected and as a lone carer I felt it was ‘killing me’.
"Julie had always dealt with the finances but now she cannot even recognise the value of money. I was suddenly thrown into having to sort out all the household affairs, something Julie had always managed with ease and perfection. It was like being thrown into a new world of having to do everything by myself. I would advise anyone going through this journey to accept help straight away.”
Now the couple have thrown their support behind a new TV advert launched by the Alzheimer’s Society, describing the charity as a ‘lifeline’ since Julie fell ill. The advert titled the ‘Long Goodbye’ is narrated by actor Colin Firth and shows how the relentless progression of dementia causes people to ‘die again and again and again.’ Scott added: “Not being able to spontaneously go out as husband and wife, holding hands as we stroll along, going for meals together and going shopping – all these losses for me symbolise the Long Goodbye.”
Bet Lynch is one of Corrie's best loved characters (ITV / Rex Features)
Scott gave up his career to be Julie's full time carer (The People)The charity has provided a Dementia Advisor to ease the burden on Scott and help him navigate the support available. He said: “Since receiving Julie’s diagnosis, the support we have had from our Dementia Adviser Julie Mann has been amazing – I couldn’t have managed without it. She has helped me to understand what dementia is and supported us in applying for financial entitlements. She has encouraged me to get our affairs in order and put plans in place for the future.
“She has listened when I didn’t know what to do and has guided me on getting the right care package in place that suits both of our needs. Without this support I really don’t know how I would have coped – it was a lifeline when we both needed one and continues to be so. She has helped to take such a burden off our shoulders.”
Julie and Scott have thrown their support behind a new TV advert launched by the Alzheimer’s Society (Thousand Word Media Ltd/Andrew Higgins)Alzheimer’s Society’s new TV ad, launched as part of the Long Goodbye campaign, shows a son delivering the eulogy at his mother’s wake, recalling the numerous moments in her life when part of her ‘died’. The charity revealed that a sobering one in three Brits born today will develop the condition.
Dementia is also the UK’s biggest killer, with over a million people living with disease across the nation. Kate Lee, Alzheimer’s Society’s CEO, explained: “This campaign seeks to tell the unvarnished truth about the devastation caused by dementia and it is very much informed by people affected by the condition.
“The loved ones of people with dementia often describe it as a ‘living grief’ as, bit by bit, the disease’s relentless progression causes part of the person to die…again and again and again. But there is hope. Alzheimer’s Society, through its support services, is there for people affected again and again as they face the grim reality of the long goodbye.”
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Scott describes Alzheimer’s Society as a ‘lifeline’ since Julie fell ill (ITV/Shutterstock)'Dementia is not the priority it should be', says Alzheimer’s Society CEO
Julie now relies on a wheelchair to be mobile (ITV / Rex Features)
Alzheimer’s Society’s CEO, Kate Lee says dementia should be a priorityDespite high-profile people like Julie Goodyear and Fiona Phillips being diagnosed with dementia, increased publicity hasn’t translated into major action. Nearly 80 percent of respondents to a recent survey weren’t aware that one in three people born in the UK today will get dementia.
Despite it affecting over 900,000 people in the UK, dementia is not the priority it should be. This is evident by how hard it is to even get a diagnosis, which is the vital first step towards unlocking support. As Chief Executive of the UK’s leading dementia charity I have a responsibility to ensure people recognise the scale of the challenge and ensure it’s addressed.
But as the distraught daughter of a mum battling dementia, I have an even greater sense of duty. An unrelenting determination to make sure this cruel disease stops devastating lives the way it has my family’s. My pain has become my purpose.
This week we launch a new TV advert that lays bare the stark reality of dementia. It depicts a son delivering the eulogy at the wake of his mum.
His voice cracking with emotion as he recalls the numerous moments in her life when part of her ‘died’ as symptoms of her dementia took hold. When she could no longer manage to prepare her legendary roast. When she became unable to dress herself. And the most heartbreaking line: ‘when she asked me, her son, what my name was’.
This moving ad offers a glimpse into the lives of so many experiencing what’s often referred to as the ‘Long Goodbye’ – the sense of living grief where parts of a person fade away as the condition progresses.
At Alzheimer’s Society we’re there for people affected by dementia again and again and again, through some of the hardest and most frightening times. We’re funding groundbreaking research that will one day end the devastation caused by dementia.
With predictions that nearly 1.6 million people will be living with dementia in the UK in 2040, I hope this advert will make people sit up and take notice.
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