Julie Goodyear’s husband, Scott Brand, has spoken publicly about the “extremely painful” and slow deterioration of his wife’s health following her dementia diagnosis. The Coronation Street actress, who played the role of leopard-skin-wearing Bet Lynch, has been unable to recognise people and has lost interest in her appearance. Brand shared that he missed the daily joys of being in a couple and the fun-loving wife that Julie had always been, with her smile lighting up every room.
As part of a new Alzheimer’s Society campaign, Goodyear and her husband are backing The Long Goodbye TV advert, voiced by Colin Firth, that focuses on the brutal reality of the disease and how it causes people to “die again, and again, and again”. The advert is part of the charity’s efforts to help reduce the burden on caregivers and families. Alzheimer’s Society has provided a Dementia Advisor to Brand, enabling him to cope with his wife’s condition.
Brand, who married Goodyear in 2007, has had to give up work to become his wife’s full-time carer. He initially tried to look after her himself, but he found it challenging and quickly realised that he needed to ask for help. Caring for Julie is his priority, but his health was being affected, and as a lone carer, he felt it was killing him. He advises anyone going through this journey to accept help straight away.
Goodyear starred in Coronation Street from 1966 to 2003, where she became one of the ITV soap opera’s longest-serving and best-loved characters, she also appeared on reality shows such as Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Fit Club. Meanwhile, Brand hopes that raising awareness of what dementia can do to people will lead to a better understanding and support for families like his
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