Loose Women star Ruth Langsford has teamed up with ITV and the Alzheimer’s Society this year to raise awareness of the illness this Christmas.
She’ll voice the new campaign, which is due to run from December 23 until New Year’s Eve.
Meanwhile, Ruth’s mum Joan is in the hospital following a fall.
Ruth has assured her fans that her mum is OK. However, her hopes that she would be home for Christmas appear to be waning. Ex-partner Eamonn Holmes liked a social media post of hers, in a gentle display of support for Ruth.
Ruth Langsford to front Alzheimer’s disease campaign over Christmas
Loose Women panellist Ruth has joined forces with the Alzheimer’s Society and ITV for a Christmas charity campaign.
Between programmes, ITV audiences will hear broadcasts produced by the charity.
She will voice the messages for this year’s campaign, and she’s delighted to be doing so.
“Christmas should be a happy time filled with loved ones, laughter and memories,” she said in a press release published by the charity.
“But sadly, for around one million people in the UK, dementia will strip these precious moments away.”
The campaign will run for a week, from December 23 until December 31, or New Year’s Eve.
Ruth Langsford’s personal connection to Alzheimer’s and dementia
Ruth is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Her relationship with the neurodegenerative disease is personal: her father Dennis died in 2012, a decade after receiving his diagnosis for dementia.
Joan, Ruth’s 94-year-old mum, also lives with it.
She says of the campaign: “Having lost my dad Dennis and currently seeing my mum Joan live with dementia, I know how this time of year can often heighten the heartbreak and loss we feel, coupled with added challenges to manage ongoing caring responsibilities.
“With one in three people born today developing dementia, it has never been more crucial to shine a light on the condition and bring it from behind closed doors.”
She concludes: “So don’t be alarmed when images and sound suddenly don’t seem quite right between some of your ITV programmes this Christmas. But do share with family and friends the messages heard.”
Hats off to you, Ruth!
So, can you relate to Ruth’s experiences of caring for a family member with dementia? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.