TV soap to give dementia ‘eye view’ of world

A SPECIAL episode of emmerdale is set to be shown entirely from the perspective of a character suffering from dementia.

The episode, thought to be the first of its kind for a British programme, will have the camerawork and editing altered to put viewers ‘inside the mind’ of former vicar ashley Thomas, pictured. Iain Macleod, the series producer, explained that he wanted the one-off episode to help viewers understand how everyday tasks become ‘Herculean’ for people with dementia.

Details of the storyline have not been given, but ITV has worked with the alzheimer’s Society and Methodist Homes to give the ‘most realistic depiction’ of the condition.

Mr Thomas has been a stalwart of the Dales-based soap for nearly 20 years, but was last year diagnosed with stroke-related early onset vascular dementia.

Viewers have watched his condition deteriorate significantly since then, with speculation that he might succumb to the condition by the end of the year.