Hollyoaks character Ollie Morgan, played by Gabriel Clark, saw his dad Luke, played by Gary Lucy, diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) two years ago.
Over the next few months, we’ll see Ollie start a series of video diaries on the Hollyoaks YouTube channel, developing the storyline further. After finding a video camera with videos of his dad when he was younger, Ollie sets out to speak to Luke’s friends and family to find out more about what he was like.
Alzheimer’s Society worked with the team at Hollyoaks on the story, giving feedback and information to make sure the portrayal of people affected by dementia is as accurate as possible.
Hear from our Deputy Director of Services, Zoe Campbell, about our work with Hollyoaks:
'There are still too many people with dementia who face a huge amount of stigma and misunderstanding, and TV shows can be a powerful way to spread awareness. We worked alongside the Hollyoaks team to help cast and crew really understand the reality of dementia and ensure the representation was as accurate as possible.
'Through Luke’s powerful story, viewers will get a real snapshot of the difficulties faced by so many behind closed doors up and down the UK – storylines like these have the power to make a huge difference and break down barriers. We encourage anyone affected by the storyline to call our Dementia Connect support line advisers on 0333 150 3456.'
