Julie Goodyear ’s husband has told how her dementia diagnosis has left the couple devastated and facing a difficult future.
Scott Brand said the 81-year-old former Corrie star, who played Rovers barmaid Bet Lynch for 25 years, has been getting medical help for the debilitating condition.
Dementia charities praised the couple for going public with the diagnosis and hoped it would help raise awareness.
Scott said in a statement yesterday: “My darling wife and I have had to come to terms with this heartbreaking diagnosis.
“Unfortunately, Julie has been suffering forgetfulness for some time and we have been seeking medical advice and assistance, but we now know that there is no hope of a reversal in the situation and her condition will get progressively, and perhaps speedily, worse.
“We have taken the decision to publicly announce the diagnosis as Julie still loves visiting friends and eating out.
“Inevitably she is recognised, and fans love to meet her, and she them, but she can get confused particularly if she is tired. I hope people will understand.”
Actor Charlie Lawson, 63, who played opposite Julie as Jim McDonald in the ITV soap offered her his best wishes.
He said: “It’s an impossible situation for her but I send her all my fondest love and greatest memories of her.” Speaking of their time together on the Cobbles, the Northern Irish star added: “She was great craic, we did the Rovers scenes on a Thursday and Friday afternoon and I always had real beer under the counter and Julie would pour me a nice pint of the real stuff between takes.”
“She was great fun, we had one disagreement and then we never had a cross word in the next 10 years in the 90s. We respected one another.
“Julie was a queen in very much the sense of the word because in those days, in the 90s when I was there, the ‘celebrity’ was only just being born, there was Kylie and Jason but the top shelves were still ‘you-know-what’ magazines.
“But Julie had been queen of the Rovers for a very long time and was very good at playing the dame.”
Charlie also told how Julie showed remarkable kindness to him after he moved to Manchester to be with late wife, Lesley.
He added: “When no one else would talk to us Julie went out of her way to invite us to one of her private functions in Manchester.
“She sat us at the top table and made sure everyone was very respectful and I will never forget that generosity from her. My lasting memory will be sitting with her at the top table inManchester City Hall and Julie complaining that Lesley and I were getting more photos taken of us.”
Dementia UK chief executive Hilda Hayo said: “We’re sorry to hear Julie has been diagnosed with dementia, and hope that she and her family are receiving the support and assistance they need at this time.
“By choosing to speak publicly about her diagnosis, Julie and her family will raise vital awareness of dementia and we hope that this will encourage others to seek advice if they have concerns for their brain health.”
Alzheimer’s Research chief executive Hilary Evans added: “It is incredibly brave of Julie’s husband to share this news and help raise awareness of dementia, a condition affecting almost one million people in the UK today.
“Our hearts go out to Julie and her family, following the announcement that she is living with dementia.
“So many of us have such fond memories of watching Julie on screen, playing the iconic role of Bet Lynch.”
Former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Julie was best remembered on Coronation Street for her trademark leopard print-clothing as Bet and her acid tongue.
Her character was named the UK’s favourite TV landlady in a 2013 survey of 1,000 adults by the Campaign for Real Ale.
Bet beat Peggy Mitchell, who was played by Barbara Windsor on rival BBC soap EastEnders.
Julie has been married four times. She wed Ray Sutcliffe in 1959 and the couple had a son Gary.
After their divorce, she tied the knot with Tony Rudman in 1973, then American Richard Skrob in 1985.
Julie married Scott, who is 26 years her junior, in 2007 after 11 years together. In an interview that same year on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, she said the marriage was “alright”.
Asked whether she loved Scott she replied: “Well, I must do, or I wouldn’t still be with him.”
The couple have no children. Julie left the Street in 1995 after playing alongside a long list of stars including Betty Driver (Betty Williams), Doris Speed (Annie Walker) Sally Dyvenor (Sally Webster) and Sue Jenkins (Gloria Todd).
She later made brief appearances on the soap.
Julie has been a feature of reality TV with appearances on Celebrity Fit Club, Come Dine With Me and a celebrity special of Stars In Their Eyes.
She remains a patron of Willow Wood Hospice in Greater Manchester.
