HEARTBREAKING: Emmerdale Star Danny Miller Breaks Down as He Reveals ‘Terrible’ Turning Point in His Father’s Health Battle
The ITV actor, 35, called the condition “cruel” after visiting his dad Vince, 90, who he explained was a popular compere comedian in Manchester earlier in his life.
Emmerdale’s Danny Miller opened up about his dad’s dementia battle
Credit: Instagram
Having pulled over in his car to decompress, Danny called the visit a “poor” one and said he sighed when he saw his dad asleep in the window as he arrived.
Danny candidly spoke about how he now faces the same questions from his dad, who asks if he’s back on Emmerdale, where is he living and how are his grandchildren.
He said his visits sometimes felt like “selfish” box-ticking episodes.
Addressing viewers, he urged them to appreciate the time they spend with their parents.
“If they’re still here and you still get to talk to them, just cherish that moment,” he said. “One day that might not happen, and I’ll tell you now from my experience it’ll bloody hurt.”
He fought back tears as he recalled putting his dad on mute on phone calls before he was diagnosed when he would “rant”.
However, now he said he longs for those times again and would happily listen to him ranting now.
He said: “I miss my dad so much.”
Ending his video on an upbeat note, he shared his dad’s funny parting comments.
Danny told him: “I’m going to come back and visit you next week, can I bring you anything?”
His dad replied: “Yeah, bring me a nice big blonde girl and leave her here for three days.”
Danny said: “He’s still in there somewhere, but my God, I miss him.”
Vince worked as a VIP host for Manchester United for nearly 30 years and was friends with former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
The well-connected funnyman also gave a eulogy at Bernard Manning’s funeral.
Actor Danny hoped his candid video might help others going through similar situations and that it is ok to be vulnerable.
His co-star Charley Webb commented: “Proud of you.”
Another follower posted: “Well done for this, you have helped many through this video.”
A second said: “That was very honest and thank you for sharing. Sending you and your family much love.”
The early stages of dementia
DEMENTIA is not a single condition. It is caused by different physical diseases of the brain – like Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and DLB.
More than 944,000 people in the UK currently have it. And no matter the type, it affects everyone differently.
The first signs of it are often mild and easy to brush off, but can include:
- Memory problems (e.g. being unable to recall recent events or losing keys)
- Planning and thinking difficulties (e.g. finding complex decisions about finances hard)
- Language and communication trouble (e.g. struggling to find the right word)
- Poor orientation (e.g. getting lost easily in familiar areas)
- Visual-perceptual difficulties (e.g. problems judging distances)
- Changes in mood or emotion (e.g. feeling anxious or frightened or getting easily upset)
“Many people at the early stage of dementia stay largely independent and only need a bit of assistance with daily living,” Alzheimer’s Society says.
“It is important to focus on what the person can do and not to take over and do things for them.
“Instead, try doing things with them, for example helping the person develop a routine, reminder lists and prompts, and use technology.”
Because dementia is progressive, it gets worse over time, usually over several years. Experts generally think of it in three stages:
- Early stage (mild)
- Middle stage (moderate)
- Late stage (severe)
“These stages can be used to understand how dementia is likely to change over time, and to help people prepare for the future,” the charity adds.
“The stages also act as a guide to when certain treatments, such as medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, are likely to work best.”
Most people who develop dementia are over the age of 65. Anyone diagnosed before this is considered to have young-onset dementia, which affects about 70,800 people in the UK
