Ruth Langsford has issued an emotional ‘thank you’ to ‘Emmerdale’ actor John Middleton, for his portrayal of dementia sufferer Ashley Thomas.
The ‘This Morning’ presenter fought back tears as she interviewed John about his soap storyline in on Tuesday’s (20 December) edition of the ITV daytime show.
Ruth, whose late father had the disease, told him: “I was lucky enough to see a preview of tonight’s show - but for somebody with a family member with Alzheimer’s, things rang so true for me.
“I remember my dad struggling - and he was a bright man - but suddenly with [money], he would have his hand out and would say ‘take what you want’ because he was looking at blank coins in his head, I suppose.”
She also praised how soap bosses had shown how Ashley’s illness affected his wife Laurel, continuing: “When she said I am looking at my husband but it’s not really my husband, it’s really, really hard for families, because I felt that.
“My dad was there in body, the shell of my dad, but he wasn’t there, and the hardest thing is when your loved one doesn’t remember you. That’s so painful.”
Sharing a lighter story about her father’s illness, Ruth added: “Although some things were comical, and when he eventually was in a care home, my mum was visiting him with my aunt and uncle and they had ‘This Morning’ on, and my aunt said ‘oh look, there’s Ruth’ and he looked over and said ‘Oh I can’t stand her!’... and you had to laugh!”
Turning to John, she said: “What really struck home with me watching tonight’s episode is the fear you portrayed. I used to see that.”
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ITV Pictures
Becoming emotional, she issued a heartfelt thanks to John and the ‘Emmerdale’ team.
“I would like to say thank you from families because it’s not often that dementia gets represented so well and I think as a programme - and you particularly, John, as an actor, have done it so brilliantly. So thank you,” she said.
John replied: “That’s the best award I could possibly imagine or ask for, thank you.”
Still fighting back the tears as she joined husband Eamonn Holmes, she admitted: “I’m fine. I always get a bit upset talking about my dad, but it’s so important.”
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ITV
During the interview, John told of how he hoped the special ‘Emmerdale’ episode would help change viewers’ perceptions of dementia, explaining: “If we do anything with tonight’s story, it’s to encourage people that when they see people confused to maybe help - don’t assume they are just off their head a bit - and that they may well have some form of dementia.”
Of his upcoming departure from the soap, he added: “I’m very sad to be leaving ‘Emmerdale’. I love the place, I love everyone who works there and I’ve got some great friends and colleagues there - some will be friends of mine for the rest of my life.”
‘Emmerdale’ airs tonight at 7pm on ITV, while ‘This Morning’ airs weekdays from 10.30am on ITV.
Early Symptoms of Dementia
No Initiative (01 of10)
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At times everyone can become tired of housework, business activities, or social obligations. However a person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies. (credit:John Rensten via Getty Images)
Changes in Personality (02 of10)
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A person with dementia may seem different from his or her usual self in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic or anxious and agitated especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties. (credit:fStop Images - Carl Smith via Getty Images)
Mood Changes(03 of10)
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Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously. (credit:Mike Chick via Getty Images)
Misplace Things (04 of10)
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Anyone can temporarily misplace his or her wallet or keys. A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. (credit:Oli Kellett via Getty Images)
Problems With Keeping Track of Things (05 of10)
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A person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation or keep up with paying their bills. (credit:Chris Red via Getty Images)
Increasingly poor Judgement(06 of10)
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People with dementia may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothes on a warm day or very few on a cold day. (credit:Jessica Peterson via Getty Images)
Distortion of Time and Place (07 of10)
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We sometimes forget the day of the week or where we are going but people with dementia can become lost in familiar places such as the road they live in, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Problems With Language(08 of10)
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Occasionally everyone has trouble finding the right word but a person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks(09 of10)
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People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with dementia may not know in what order to put clothes on or the steps for preparing a meal. (credit:Anthony Harvie via Getty Images)
Memory Loss(10 of10)
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Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia. People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example, they may briefly forget their next-door neighbour's name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbour. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbour's name but also the context. (credit:Compassionate Eye Foundation via Getty Images)