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TV Star's Heartbreak Over Mother's Dementia
26 Jan
Summary
- Webb shared her mother's early-onset dementia diagnosis publicly.
- She described the experience as deeply isolating and lonely.
- Visits are difficult as her mother is no longer the person she knew.
Former Emmerdale star Charley Webb has bravely opened up about her mother Helen's decade-long battle with early-onset dementia. Webb revealed the diagnosis publicly in 2023, describing the experience as incredibly isolating and the reason she has 'never felt so alone'.
She explained her motivation to speak out was to support Alzheimer's Research UK, for which she is an ambassador, and to help others facing similar challenges feel less isolated. Webb admitted she struggled with the decision to speak publicly, knowing her mother, who was glamorous and private, would have been hesitant.
The actress shared that she still hasn't fully processed the situation and finds visits to her mother, who now lives in a care home, deeply upsetting. She confessed to compartmentalizing her emotions and finding it difficult to enjoy visits, viewing them as a reminder of the mother she has lost.
Webb's mother was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at age 64. The process of diagnosis was stressful and lengthy, with initial signs of forgetfulness noted by Webb herself due to her mother's close involvement in her early career. Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive abilities, impacting memory, thinking, and behavior, with no current cure.
