Coronation Street’s Sue Jenkins breaks silence on former co-star Julie Goodyear’s ‘heartbreaking’ dementia battle

CORONATION Street star Sue Jenkins has spoken out about her former co-star Julie Goodyear's 'heartbreaking' battle with dementia.

Sue, who acted in the soap as a bartender called Gloria Todd, spoke fondly of her fellow Corrie star and shared her sadness at the diagnosis.

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Julie's husband revealed that the 81-year-old was suffering from dementia in a devastating statement earlier this month, where he asked fans to be understanding of her condition.

He said: "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 that 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."

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Sue shared that her and Julie have been in touch since their time together on the soap and called the news of her dementia the "saddest thing".

She told : "Julie was wonderful. I have such great memories working with her.

"[Dementia] just seems so common now. It’s heartbreaking how many people are suffering - we really have got to get to the bottom of why and fight it.

"There are so many theories out there on what causes dementia; it’s frightening, it seems out of our control."

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Sue also spoke about how nervous she was on her first day playing a barmaid at the fictional Rovers Inn.

She added: "Julie and Betty Driver were so sweet and welcoming. I remember being utterly terrified before my first scene.

"I grew up watching it. My parents loved it. They couldn’t believe I was going to be in it! It was nerve-wracking."

If you’re worried about yourself or a loved one and want to find out more about Alzheimer’s disease, visit Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘’.

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