The Gentle Touch actress Gill Gascoine, 79, is in final stages of Alzeheimer’s, reveals husband Alfred Molina
The actress' husband revealed her four year struggle with the disease
ACTRESS Jill Gascoine is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s.
Her husband Alfred Molina has spoken out about her four year battle with the disease for the first time – describing it as ‘cowardly’.
Branding the 79-year-old's prognosis as ‘bleak’, the Chocolat actor told the : “Alzheimer's is a cowardly disease. It creeps up on you from behind and by the time you realise you've got it you're probably not realising much else. It's a stinker.
“Every Alzheimer's case is unique unto itself – the only thing that unites them all is the outcome is always the same. Ultimately, you end up on the same path.”
Alfred, who is 16 years younger than Jill, continued comparing her battle to Sir Terry Pratchett’s – who died last year from the disease.
“Not everyone can approach Alzheimer's with the bravery that Terry Pratchett showed,” he said.
He added: “I'm scared of a lot of things. Every time I can't find my wallet, every time I forget where I left my car keys, I'm thinking, 'Oh, Jesus.' I have to remind myself there's a difference between not remembering where you put your car keys and, when you find them, not knowing what they're for.
“I've seen that happen at close range – I know the difference.”
Jill first rose to prominence in the 1970s drama The Onedin Line before become a household name playing Forbes in The Gentle Touch.
The show, which was watched by 18 million viewers, saw her character juggle her career as a Detective Inspector with bringing up her son alone after her husband was murdered in the first episode.
The character even had its own spin-off series C.A.T.S Eyes which ran between 1985-1987.
She was expected to make her TV comeback in 2010 when she won the role of Glenda Mitchell on EastEnders.
However she quit the BBC show after just one day of filming, saying at the time she 'lacked the right experience to film such a big continuing drama'.
It’s thought it was at around this time she started having issues with her memory.
In 2012 she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and in that same year she played a dying mother in the stage play Anxiety.
It was written especially for her with no lines to remember and the proceeds went to the Alzheimer's Association.
Jill, who is a mum-of-two from a previous relationship, currently lives in LA with husband Alfred.
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