Former Coronation Street star Paula Wilcox has shared a deeply personal heartbreak, revealing the emotional toll of her mother's battle with dementia. The 76-year-old actress, known for her roles on the iconic cobbles, appeared on ITV's Lorraine on Wednesday, May 27, to discuss her upcoming drama and the personal connection that made the role particularly challenging.
Paula Wilcox's Coronation Street Legacy
Paula Wilcox first graced the streets of Weatherfield in 1969 as Janice, the sister of Ray Langton. She returned to the soap in 2020, taking on the role of Elaine Jones, a former abuse victim and the first wife of Geoff Metcalfe, as well as the mother of Tim Metcalfe. Elaine made her final appearance on the show in October 2023. Now, Paula is set to star in a gripping new Channel 5 thriller called The Fortune.
The Fortune: A Thriller with Personal Resonance
The new drama centres around Amanda, played by Eleanor Tomlinson, who inherits a large fortune from a man she has never met. Paula plays Amanda's mother, who suffers from dementia. This storyline hits close to home for Paula, as her own mother battled the condition years ago.
During her interview on Lorraine, Paula candidly described the experience as "terribly upsetting." Host Lorraine Kelly sympathised, calling dementia "a horrible, cruel disease," and noted that Paula might not have been able to take on the role earlier due to the raw emotions involved.
Paula explained, "It is quite close to home, so it was quite painful to think about it for quite a while. People change so much, you don't really know what's going on. This was interesting because of the in and out nature of the character's dementia—you so want her to be able to explain what she knows, and she does, she starts to, and suddenly you've lost her again, and she's looking out into the garden and thinking about trees. That's exactly my experience with my mum."
A New Chapter After Grief
Speaking to the Mirror, Paula admitted she had been wary of taking on a dementia role. "My mum had dementia, and it's absolutely awful. I've been asked to play someone with dementia before, and I felt it was a bit too close to it. But actually, this part is very different because she's a very different woman with a very different story, and also, it's about 15 years ago now, so it's time to move on."
Lorraine praised the portrayal, saying, "It's a very accurate portrayal of that disease, it really is. Maybe it will give people a better understanding of it as well while they're watching this. Gosh, it's very intriguing."
Plot Twists and Family Secrets
In The Fortune, Amanda's life quickly unravels after she inherits a vast sum. She becomes entangled in the strange world of the Worrall family, led by patriarch Martin, played by Denis Lawson, and their buried secrets. As Amanda delves deeper into the Northumbrian countryside, she begins to unravel the past, questioning everything she thought she knew.
The Fortune premieres on Tuesday, June 2, at 9pm on Channel 5. Meanwhile, Coronation Street airs weekday nights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. For more information about dementia, visit the NHS or Dementia UK websites.
