Julie Goodyear's husband Scott Brand has deleted a birthday photo of the Coronation Street icon after facing significant backlash online.
The 55-year-old had shared a rare image of the dementia-stricken star to mark her 83rd birthday on March 29, showing her smiling at home after a day out with Brand.
Sharing the photo sparked a heated debate among fans, with many appreciating seeing the beloved actress and others criticising Brand for sharing what they considered a deeply personal moment without Goodyear's consent.
Brand had initially captioned the photo: "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."
The image was taken at Goodyear's Lancashire home after the couple had spent the day celebrating together and offered a rare glimpse of the actress, who has largely remained out of the public eye since her dementia diagnosis.
The photo showed the former Coronation Street star in a tracksuit, looking markedly different from her glamorous Rovers Return landlady persona.
Julie Goodyear's husband deleted the photo after receiving backlash
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Some fans expressed delight at seeing Julie, with comments like "Wonderful to see her Scott" and "Birthday girl looks very happy there Scott, glad you've had a good day."
However, others were outraged, with one person writing on X: "I don't think that photo of Julie Goodyear should have been shared with the public. It's unlikely she'd have had the capacity to consent."
Another fan fumed: "I feel absolutely DISGUSTED that Julie Goodyear's husband would release that photo of her."
Critics compared Brand's actions to those of Barbara Windsor's husband, who maintained the EastEnders star's dignity during her battle with Alzheimer's.
The star's husband has been keeping her fans updated
"When Barbara Windsor was ill, her husband Scott Mitchell always maintained her dignity. He never shared photos of her looking like she would never would have wanted to look," wrote one social media user.
Some fans shared old pictures of Julie in her signature leopard print, writing: "Julie Goodyear... the photo she'd WANT all over social media right now."
Goodyear announced her dementia diagnosis in June 2023, after spending over 25 years on Coronation Street, with the star fondly being remembered by fans for her iconic role as Bet Lynch, the leopard print-loving landlady of the Rovers Return.
Her last television appearance was in 2019, when she featured as an interviewee for the documentary Coronation Street at Christmas, and was awarded an MBE in 1996 for her services to television and drama, following a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Television Awards in 1995.
Brand has previously opened up about the painful reality of watching Julie's condition deteriorate and told The Mirror: "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," before noting that Goodyear had abandoned her trademark leopard print outfits and colourful lipsticks as her condition progressed.
Julie is best known for her role as Bet Lynch in Coronation Street
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Brand has given up his career to become Julie's full-time carer, a transition he initially found challenging and added: "For me, the hardest part was accepting and coming to terms with the diagnosis. In the beginning, I refused to accept any support, thinking I could cope as we have always been quite private people."
Scott soon realised he needed help, admitting he was "not coping" while managing household affairs, but has since received support from Alzheimer's Society, describing it as a "lifeline" for the couple.
The backlash ultimately led Scott to delete the birthday photo.
