Coronation Street legend Julie Goodyear in rare picture two years after dementia diagnosis

Rare photos of Coronation Street star Julie Goodyear have been shared by her husband Scott Brand two years since her dementia diagnosis.

Goodyear portrayed Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch on the soap for 25 years and turned 83 on March 29, with her husband posting the photos to mark her birthday.

Brand wrote on Facebook: "Just got home with my lovely wife and we’ve had a fantastic day together.

"Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes from both of us."

Goodyear announced she had dementia back in 2023. She and her husband have since announced that they have sold their £1.3 million home and have been receiving support from the charity Alzheimer's Society.

The couple got married in 2007 and will celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary in June.

Speaking about Julie's diagnosis last year, Scott told the Mirror: "Julie has always been extremely glamorous, going nowhere without her make-up.

"But now the lipsticks and make-up go unworn, and clothes are no longer of interest, especially the leopard print.

“I miss the fun-loving wife that Julie had always been – the larger-than-life personality that brightened up everywhere she went, and the smile that lit up every room.

"All of this is now slowly fading away and it’s extremely painful for me to watch this deterioration."

He also opened up about the care they have received from the Alzheimer's Society, Scott added: "For me, the hardest part was accepting and coming to terms with the diagnosis. At the beginning I refused to accept any support, thinking I could cope as we have always been quite private people. This, in reality, didn’t last for long.

"I soon realised I needed to ask for help as I couldn’t do it by myself.

"I wasn’t coping and needed to seek support. Caring for Julie is my priority, but my health was being affected and as a lone carer I felt it was ‘killing me’."

At age 24, Goodyear first appeared in Coronation Street for nine episodes in 1966. She then returned as a series regular in 1970 and remained on the show until 1995.

In 1995 she was given an Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Television awards and the following year was made an MBE for her services to television and drama.