TV star Anne-Marie Duff has opened up about her “distressing” personal ordeal, revealing the heartache of her brother’s battle with dementia.

In a touching interview on BBC Breakfast that aired on Monday (March 3), the star of Bad Sisters shared the pain of dealing with her brother Eddie’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

At just 56, Eddie’s condition demands complex care solutions, something Anne-Marie confessed has been tough to secure.

During the pre-recorded chat with the BBC’s Tim Muffett, an emotional Anne-Marie expressed: “Generally speaking he doesn’t know who I am, but he knows that we have something special, and I find that magic.”

Continuing her heart-rending recount, the actor added: “It’s really distressing, actually. These things never affect the patient only, they affect all of us because you don’t want them to experience pain, discomfort, unhappiness, all of those things – and it does lie ahead,” reports Surrey Live.

Fears for the future weighed heavily on Anne-Marie as she tearfully contemplated her ageing parents’ inevitable sorrow at witnessing their son’s deterioration: “You can’t kid yourself that that’s not down the road at some point, and I worry about my mum and dad and how much heartbreak they will experience when they lose their boy, because they will lose their boy.”

She reflected on the initial disbelief surrounding Eddie’s symptoms when they first appeared approximately 15 years ago, due to his young age.

“Your first thought will never be dementia when somebody’s in their early forties. You start thinking, ‘Is somebody drinking? Are they taking drugs? Are they maybe having a bit of a breakdown?'” Anne-Marie said.

“And then the world started to fall apart around him. He lost his job, and because he lost his job, he lost his home.”

Anne-Marie was in the middle of a play at the National Theatre when she received a call from her GP with the news that her brother was experiencing a severe panic attack.

“They admitted him for about three weeks, it was very clear that he was living with a form of dementia,” she revealed.

Speaking on the struggles post-Eddie’s diagnosis, Anne-Marie disclosed: “I’m in the throes of trying to find him full-time residential care, a care home right now, and I’m really struggling.”

Eddie is now in assisted living but requires more “intensive” and “supportive” care, which proves difficult to secure due to his age.

Reaching out to others dealing with dementia in the family, Anne-Marie advises: “You do not have the expertise to look after somebody in the late stages of dementia. You do not and must not feel guilty about that. Love, the most enormous, oceanic level of love is never going to make you be able to deal with it.”

She wrapped up: “Get your friends on board or other members of your family, lean on them because you’re going to need all the cuddles in the world, I’d say. The communication of love transcends words, so although [Eddie] might not know who I am some days, most days – he knows I love him.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am

If you are affected by dementia, worried about a diagnosis or a carer, trained staff at the Alzheimer’s Society are ready to give you the support you need on 0333 150 3456

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