dementia

Timothy West died last November and now his wife Prunella Scales has tragically passed away. The pair spoke fondly of one another in their final ever interview

Prunella Scales and Timothy West spoke of their deep love for another in their final interview together. The EastEnders actor revealed that he had spotted a potential sign of his wife Prunella’s dementia years before her diagnosis was confirmed.

In November, it was confirmed that Timothy – known for his roles in shows like EastEnders – had died at the age of 90. Prunella’s death was announced today, just months after her husband’s sad passing.

In what is believed to be one of his last interviews, conducted in 2023, Timothy opened up about his wife Prunella’s battle with dementia. The couple appeared on BBC Breakfast for an interview together, in what would be their last appearance on TV.

Prunella, who is most recognised for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, received her dementia diagnosis in 2014. However, Timothy suggested that he first noticed signs of the condition as early as 2001.

Reflecting on the moment he first observed his wife’s decline, he shared: “I came to see a play that Pru was doing in Greenwich. I went to see the first night and it was good, much enjoyed by the audience, and then I went to see it again a bit later on and I thought ‘Pru’s not … it’s strange. She’s not totally with it.'”

Despite these early signs, her official dementia diagnosis didn’t come until over a decade later. Timothy recalled: “We went to see a specialist who just said ‘I’m sorry this is just something that happens to you when you get older’. It’s not going to get any easier but you can cope with it. We manage.”

Despite the tough landscape they found themselves in, Prunella said: “I have got to know him better and better and better.”

Timothy added: “I know that things are going to change a little bit, but it has been a long time and we have managed pretty well really. I don’t think we ever think ‘oh no.'”

Prunella then shared: “I have been asked to live the rest of my life with somebody I respect very much and agree with a lot of things and argue with about a lot of things quite happily.”

During a chat with the BBC, which was conducted prior to the launch of Timothy’s book, he was questioned about his wife Prunella’s vascular dementia diagnosis. He said that “somehow” they have “coped” over the years.

“Pru doesn’t really think about it,” he added. Timothy and Pru have been husband and wife since 1963. The couple have two sons together, actors Samuel West and Joseph West. Their family also includes Timothy’s daughter Juliet West from a previous marriage.

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Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson speaks to BBC Breakfast’s Nina Warhurst about his brother living with dementia, and what he does to keep his own mind active.

He was speaking as part of National Playlist Day, which is used to celebrate the power of personalised music playlists for those living with dementia.

READ MORE: Ferguson on music, memory and dementia projects

A BRAINWAVE test could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in just three minutes – years before clinical diagnosis would even be possible.

Researchers say the test, nicknamed ‘Fastball’, could even be used at home and serve as a cheap tool for those who struggle to get a diagnosis.

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Fastball measures patients’ brain waves through the use of a headset that uses electroencephalogram (EEG) technology.

It records the brain’s automatic response to a series of flashing images displayed on a screen.

Its inventors, from the universities of Bristol and Bath, say it can detect subtle changes to brain waves during the very early stages of dementia.

A £1.5million funding boost from the government will allow it to be tested on 1,000 patients in Bristol to find out if it can be used for mass screening.

Researchers hope the test could slash five years off the average age of diagnosis.

Dementia is often diagnosed too late, they said, up to 20 years after it has started to develop and when it’s already damaged the brain beyond repair.

Currently, diagnosis relies on tests to assess people’s memory, which researchers have previously said can be limited and may be impacted by a person’s education, language skills and whether or not they’re nervous.

They claimed Fastball swerves these issues as the test assesses patients ‘passively’, without requiring participants to follow instructions or recall information.

Dr Liz Coulthard, from the University of Bristol, said: “Patients can wait a long time for diagnosis and some of our current tests can be inaccurate and stressful for them. 

“A quick, easy-to-administer memory test, like Fastball, could transform that.”

A new study, led by experts from the universities of Bath and Bristol and published in the journal Brain Communications, included 52 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 54 healthy older adults.

MCI refers to a decline in memory and thinking. Not all cases progress to Alzheimer’s disease, but it can be an early sign and risk factor for the condition.

As well as the Fastball test, patients on the trial also completed a number of neuropsychological assessments that tested their memory, their ability to pay attention and general cognitive function.

Researchers found Fastball could reliably identify memory problems in people with MCI.

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Patients with amnestic MCI – which involves significant memory loss, such as forgetting appointments and recent conversations – showed significantly reduced responses to the Fastball test compared to healthy patients and those with non-amnestic MCI.

Researchers re-tested the group after one year and found Fastball “showed moderate to good test-retest reliability” in healthy older adults.

The study also demonstrated for the first time that the test can be performed in patients’ homes.

Researchers now say the Fastball could also be used in GP surgeries and memory clinics to speed up diagnoses.

Lead author Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: “We’re missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer’s with current diagnostic tools.

“Fastball offers a way to change that – detecting memory decline far earlier and more objectively, using a quick and passive test.”

Alzheimer’s Society estimates there are around 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third do not have a diagnosis.

The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

Dr Stothart added: “There’s an urgent need for accurate, practical tools to diagnose Alzheimer’s at scale. Fastball is cheap, portable and works in real-world settings.”

Chris Williams, chief executive of BRACE Dementia Research, which supported the study, said: “Fastball is an incredible tool that could offer anyone who, for whatever reason, cannot access a dementia diagnosis in a clinical setting.”

Reacting to the findings, Sir John Hardy, professor of neuroscience and group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, said: “Identifying individuals early for cognitive decline is going to be of increasing importance as therapies for Alzheimer’s and other dementias are developed and this protocol Fastball seems as if it may be helpful in this regard.

“What it does not do, and does not claim to do, is distinguish early Alzheimer’s from other causes of decline and this latter is also important.

“Because of this, it is likely that additional tests, biomarker or imaging, would also be needed for this second important aim.”

Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “Too many families face dementia without answers, with one in three people with the condition living without a diagnosis.

“Therefore it’s encouraging to see studies exploring potential ways to detect memory problems earlier.

“This study, in a small group of people, suggests that it can be used to measure mild memory impairment, which for some people can be an early sign of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

“However, as participants were only followed up one year later, we don’t know if those people will definitely go on to develop dementia.

“Longer-term studies in larger, diverse groups of people are needed to find out if this technology can predict how memory problems will unfold over time.”

Barriers to diagnosis

The trial results come as a new report by the Alzheimer’s Society warned that one in five people impacted by dementia receive no support.

A survey, carried out for the charity by Walnut Unlimited, included almost 3,500 impacted by dementia, such as patients, loved ones and unpaid carers.

Just a third said their experience of diagnosis was positive, while 52 per cent faced long wait times and 41 per cent had to see multiple healthcare staff.

Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Almost a million people are living with dementia, yet its scale and the day-to-day realities often remain hidden.

“These findings tell us that far too many people are going without the help they need, whether it’s support after a diagnosis, trained care professionals, or someone to turn to when things get hard.”

The charity also found more than a third (35 per cent) of people living with dementia are scared of getting diagnosed, while 31 per cent are apprehensive about talking to healthcare professionals.

Professor Carragher said: “An early and accurate diagnosis is vital to enable people living with dementia to access the care, support and treatments they so desperately need.

“Those who have been able to access these treatments experienced benefits, but we simply aren’t diagnosing people early or accurately enough to see current and prospective treatments rolled out widely.”

IT was 1984 and newly qualified doctor Daniel Drucker was excited to dive into the world of ­scientific research.

Fresh out of the University of Toronto Medical School, the 28-year-old was working at a lab in Boston in the US when his supervisor asked him to carry out a routine experiment — which proved to be anything but.

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For it led to Dr Drucker’s discovery of a previously unknown hormone, sparking a new era in medicine.

What he modestly calls a “happy accident” then kick-started a series of ­discoveries that made today’s game-changing weight loss jabs a reality.

The hormone was called glucagon-like peptide 1 — or GLP-1, as the world now knows it.

And the drugs that have resulted from its discovery have produced amazing effects — with users losing up to a fifth of their body weight.

So far around 50,000 of us have been prescribed jabs on the NHS for weight loss, but it is ­estimated around 1.5million people here are buying them privately — a figure that is expected to rise sharply.

Dr Drucker, now 69, tells The Sun: “I never felt like I was on the brink of something huge.

“It was just a fantastic stroke of luck to be in the right place at the right time and to be part of an ­innovation that could improve the health of hundreds of millions of people all over the world.”

The drugs are now being hailed as a possible cure for a range of other conditions too, including dementia and migraine.

But Dr Drucker warns: “We need to be cautious, respect what we don’t know, and not rush into thinking these medicines are right for everyone.

‘Full of hope’

“There could be side-effects we haven’t seen yet, especially in groups we haven’t properly studied.”

Some studies have also raised concerns about gallbladder problems and in rare cases, even ­suicidal thoughts.

GLP-1 was found to play a key role in regulating the appetite and blood sugar levels, by slowing digestion and signalling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

Fat jabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy contain synthetic versions of GLP-1, tirzepatide and semaglutide, which mimic the natural hormone with astonishing, fat-busting results.

Originally these drugs — known as GLP-1 agonists — were licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, due to their ability to stimulate the body’s production of insulin, which cuts high blood glucose levels.

But over the past 15 years, after studies ­confirmed the potential to tackle obesity, pharmaceutical firms have reapplied to have the drugs approved as weight loss treatments.

And now evidence is emerging almost daily to suggest these drugs could help treat and even prevent other chronic and degenerative diseases.

Hundreds of scientific trials are under way, and Dr Drucker is “full of hope”, adding that he would consider taking the drugs himself, to ward off ­Alzheimer’s disease.

He says: “I think the next five years is going to be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the ­conditions we are testing them for, we could finally find ­treatments for conditions once thought untreatable.”

Decades after his discovery, Dr Drucker is now a professor of ­medicine at the University of Toronto, and a senior investigator at the affiliated Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, where GLP-1 research now fills his life.

He says: “Every morning I turn on my phone and check what’s happened overnight — what new ­discovery has been made, what could this hormone cure or treat.”

Even so, in May UK health chiefs warned that the jabs must not be taken during pregnancy or in the two months before conception, after studies of animals found that semaglutide can cause ­pregnancy loss and birth defects.

But with human use, no such ­danger has been ­confirmed, Dr Drucker says, and dozens of women have ­conceived while taking them.

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Some scientists even believe GLP-1 drugs may boost ­fertility, and could become a go-to for infertility treatment.

Dr Drucker, listed in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024, says: “It wouldn’t surprise me if five years from now, once we have more clinical trial evidence, if we start recommending these medicines to help people get pregnant, and have safer pregnancies.”

It is exciting stuff, but Dr Drucker admits he also worries about people using the drugs for the wrong ­reasons — such as slim, young women in pursuit of unrealistic beauty ideals on social media.

He says: “If I’ve got a 17-year-old who wants to lose another five per cent of her body weight to look like some celebrity, that’s a real concern.

“We haven’t studied 10,000 teenage girls on these drugs over five years. We don’t know how they affect bones, fertility, mental health or development in the long term.”

Last year model Lottie Moss, sister of supermodel Kate, revealed she had ended up in hospital after a seizure linked to high doses of weight loss drug Ozempic.

I think the next five years will be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the conditions we are testing for, we could find treatments for conditions thought untreatable

Dr Daniel Drucker

A nurse told her the dose she had been injecting was meant for someone twice her size.

Dr Drucker warned that older adults, people with eating disorders and those with mental health ­conditions may respond differently to the drugs.

He says: “We’re still ­learning, and just because a medicine works well in one group doesn’t mean it is safe for everyone.”

One of the biggest risks is dehydration, which OnlyFans star Lottie blamed for her seizure.

Dr Drucker says: “Some people experience nausea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration, and that in itself can be dangerous.”
He also warns that losing weight too quickly can reduce muscle mass and bone density, which is especially risky for older people.

He adds: “This is why it is important people only take these drugs when being monitored by medical professionals, so they can be properly assessed for side-effects and receive the safest, most effective care.”

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So far at least 85 people in the UK have died after taking weight loss jabs, according to reports sent to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency watchdog.

While none of the deaths has been definitively linked to the drugs, health bodies noted a “suspicion” that they may have played a role.

Dr Drucker says: “Reports like these can raise flags, but without proper comparison groups they don’t tell the full story.

‘Drugs aren’t candy’

“In fact, large trials show GLP-1 drugs actually reduce death rates in people with Type 2 diabetes and those with obesity and heart disease.

“So far, the evidence looks solid and reassuring.”

With millions of patients treated over the years, GLP-1s have a well-established safety record for diabetes and obesity.

But Dr Drucker warns that for newer uses, such as ­Alzheimer’s, fatty liver disease or sleep apnoea, we need more data.

He says: “I don’t think there are any hidden, terrifying side-effects waiting to be uncovered.

“But that doesn’t mean people should take them lightly. We don’t yet have 20 years of experience ­treating some of these ­conditions.

“We need to approach each new indication with appropriate caution, to really understand the benefits ­versus the potential risks.

“These drugs aren’t candy, they won’t fix everything — and like all medicines they have side-effects.

“I don’t think we should abandon our focus on safety. We need to move carefully and thoughtfully as this field evolves.”

I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future

Dr Daniel Drucker

He continues: “I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future.

“I have friends from college who are already showing early signs of cognitive decline, and there’s hope that in some cases, ­semaglutide might help to slow it.”

Several studies over the years ­support that theory.

A recent study by a US university found that the jabs could prevent Alzheimer’s-related changes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Separate research from Taiwan found that people on GLP-1 agonist drugs appeared to have a 37 per cent lower risk of dementia.

Dr Drucker now regularly receives messages from people around the world whose lives have been changed by the drugs his lab helped to create.

He says: “I get tons of stories. ­People send me emails and photos, not just showing their weight loss, but how their health has changed in other ways too.”

Some say the jabs have helped their chronic pain, cleared brain fog or improved long-standing health conditions such as ulcerative colitis or arthritis.

Dr Drucker adds: “It’s incredibly heartwarming and I never get tired of hearing these stories.”

But for him there is even deeper meaning attached to his discovery.

His 97-year-old mother Cila, ­originally from Poland, survived the Holocaust, spending months as a child hiding in the family’s attic before they were captured and held in a ghetto, where her mother and sister were later shot dead.

At the end of the war in 1945 she became a refugee in Palestine, then in 1953 she emigrated to Canada, first settling in Montreal then making Toronto her home in the 1990s.

Dr Drucker says his work has helped to ease Cila’s survivor’s guilt which had consumed her for decades.

He says: “She looks at my work and she’s so proud of how many people it could potentially help.”

JEFF Bezos is mourning the loss of his mother, Jacklyn “Jackie” Bezos, who has died at the age of 78.

The Bezos Family Foundation announced the news, revealing she passed away peacefully at her Miami home today.

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While no cause of death was given, the Foundation said she was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020.

In an emotional post, Jeff reflected on how his mom’s life as an adult began early, becoming a mother at just 17.

He said she “pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity,” later bringing his stepfather Mike into the family and expanding her love to his siblings Christina and Mark.

Bezos said her “list of people to love never stopped growing” and that she “always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”

He shared that after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, Jackie died surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and Mike.

“I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life,” he wrote, adding: “I hold her safe in my heart forever… I love you, mom.”

In a heartfelt tribute, the Foundation described Jackie as “the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness and service to others” — values she passed on to her children and grandchildren.

It praised her husband, Mike Bezos, for staying by her side “at every step” of her illness and thanked the healthcare team who cared for her.

Born December 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C., Jackie had Jeff at 17 with her first husband, Ted Jorgensen, before the couple split when Jeff was a toddler.

She later married Cuban immigrant Miguel “Mike” Bezos in 1968 — a lifelong partnership that lasted nearly six decades.

In 1995, the couple famously invested just under $250,000 into Jeff’s then-new venture, Amazon.

A devoted mother to Jeff, Christina, and Mark, Jackie juggled work, night school, and family life — making countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, supervising cheerleading practice for Christina, and hauling drums in the family station wagon for Mark.

She later earned her psychology degree at 45, proving, as the Foundation put it, “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”

In 2000, she and Mike founded the Bezos Family Foundation, spearheading initiatives such as Vroom, which supports early childhood development, and the Bezos Scholars Program for students in the US and Africa.

She also played a major role in funding groundbreaking cancer research at Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

Her greatest joy, however, was family — particularly her 11 grandchildren, for whom she created “Camp Marmie,” a summer tradition of adventures, problem-solving, and laughter.

Jeff’s wife, Lauren Sánchez, re-shared the tribute on Instagram Stories with a broken heart emoji.

Jackie is survived by Mike, her children Jeff, Christina, and Mark, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

The family is asking people to honor her memory by supporting a meaningful nonprofit or performing a simple act of kindness.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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BBC Breakfast star Nina Warhurst has made her return to the show after a heartbreaking family death

BBC Breakfast presenter Nina Warhurst has returned to the programme after her father’s passing.

The popular morning show was back on air on Sunday (August 3) with Ben Thompson and Nina presenting together once again.

It’s been a tough period for Nina, who recently revealed that her father had passed away peacefully in a care home on July 2 after a prolonged struggle with dementia.

READ MORE: BBC Breakfast star’s secret job revealed and it’s worlds away from presenting

READ MORE: BBC Breakfast presenter says ‘it made my heart ache’ after major change-up in role

Sharing a touching black-and-white image of her hand clasped with her father’s, she penned: “My Dad died on Wednesday night. From Sunday me, my Mum and sisters spent precious time with him around the clock….singing, crying, laughing, sharing memories. On his last day we had nursing home afternoon tea, chippy chips and wine together.

“He drifted away gently with me and Amy (Nina’s sister) holding him and telling him to ‘go head. We’ll see you there soon.’ And he did. I had my hand on his heart as the ripples softened and stopped.”, reports the Express.

“A gentle end to a gentle life. So much love and laughter and sunshine across days I’ll never forget. He is in my mind all the time now as we adjust to a world without him in it.

“I can’t quite accept that’s real yet. But we think it’s really important for anyone going through this to know that the end can be peaceful and beautiful.”

Supporters immediately flooded Nina with messages of comfort at the time. One viewer commented: “Oh my darling, this is such sad news. He seemed like a beautiful soul.” Another said: “So sorry, dear Nina and family. You did him proud. Always.”

However, a few weeks later and on Sunday, Nina was back on the famous red sofa on BBC Breakfast – and fans were more than chuffed to see her back. On X, one person penned: “Lovely to see Nina this morning.”

Nina’s father Chris, had been diagnosed with mixed dementia, which is Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, in 2022.In April this year, she spoke candidly about how his condition had affected her life.

The mum-of-three penned in an Instagram post: “I don’t think I really became a proper grownup until we had to look after my Dad. Because of dementia I lost the home I could go to and still be a child. I lost one of those few pillars of people who I knew would love me, whatever. I thought that support was lost.

But now I know that just being with him is enough. I don’t know if it’s primal, hormonal, chemical, emotional….. but leaning my head on his chest and closing my eyes for a few minutes gives me the sense of safety and love that I’ve always had and that I still need.”

BBC Breakfast airs everyday from 6am on BBC One.

Between delicately assembling a pair of open-faced sandwiches in her comfortably stocked kitchen and carefully picking her wardrobe for an incoming visitor, Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), an elegant older woman with intelligent eyes and a wry smile, looks like someone who enjoys hosting. Flirting too, if the hand she gently places on her lunch companion’s knee is any indication.

But there are signs that Ruth, an accomplished cookbook author, exists apart from the reality of the moment. Polite, patient, nervous Steve (H. Jon Benjamin) is not a date — he’s actually Ruth’s son, there to take her to a well-appointed retirement community where she’ll live under the observation of caregivers who specialize in memory care. But also, thanks to the power of “Familiar Touch,” it’s a place where she’ll be affectionately dimensionalized through the encouraging eyes of the filmmaker who created her, Sarah Friedland.

Friedland’s acute debut feature, drawn from her experience in the memory-care field, is a small miracle of realigned empathy, turning away from the condescension and easy sentiment of so many narratives about late-in-life adaptation. Instead it finds something infinitely more layered and meaningful, especially where Chalfant’s utterly commanding characterization is concerned.

Friedland doesn’t waste time letting us know she has more on her mind than rote family drama or a spotlight on medical suffering. The quiet car ride to the senior living home is marked by a closeup of Ruth’s hand turning on her lap as it’s warmed by the sun — a moment meant to prioritize Ruth’s sensorial experience. In the facility’s lobby, where we meet kindly caregiver Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Ruth realizes she’s not at a hotel for a rendezvous but rather to be admitted to a new group home by a grown child she doesn’t recognize, the moment is as tension-filled as it needs to be.

Yet even that is offset by the composed normality of Friedland’s unhurried, attentive direction, seeding an understanding that what is new for Ruth (or new once more, since we learn that she herself had chosen the place in less-confused times) is, in practically every other way, a common occurrence. This is a rite of passage happening all the time everywhere and deserving of compassion.

Ruth’s awareness is fluid as she becomes accustomed to a life of assistance, tests, activities, neighbors and the unique connection between resident and caregiver. As the process unfolds, “Familiar Touch” reveals itself as a social procedural about a demanding healthcare profession, often staffed by people who can’t afford to place their own loved ones in such facilities. The movie demystifies what’s hard and rewarding about caregiving, thanks largely to Michelle’s incredible, nuanced turn as Vanessa. That thread is exquisitely interlocked with a sensitive, sharp portrait of the interiority of someone searching for agency while in the throes of dementia.

Friedland never ignores what’s upsetting about Ruth’s condition, especially the loneliness that might replace sleep in an unfamiliar bed, or the despair that triggers a nighttime escape. But by sticking to Ruth’s perspective, the camera attuned to every emergence of childlike glee, adult pleasure or sharp-witted flash of authority, we come to see a person, not a patient. Ruth’s swings of emotion and identity are multitudes to be uncovered and respected.

The mystery of Ruth’s mindfulness — which ebbs and flows — is at the core of Chalfant’s brilliant, award-worthy performance. Hers is a virtuosity that doesn’t ask for pity or applause or even link arms with the stricken-but-defiant disease-playing headliners who have gone before her. Chalfant’s Ruth is merely, momentously human: an older woman in need, but no less expressive of life’s fullness because of it. It’s a portrayal to remember, for as long as any of us can.

Billy Joel’s life is awash in revelations these days — some bad, some worse.

Last month, the “Only the Good Die Young” singer-songwriter canceled all his upcoming concerts, revealing he was struggling with a brain disorder that causes a potentially reversible kind of dementia. Then last week, he divulged that he attempted suicide twice in his 20s after falling in love with his bandmate’s wife and causing the downfall of the band itself.

“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,” Joel says (via People) in the first half of the two-part documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” which premiered last Wednesday and hits HBO Max in July. “I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved.”

Joel said both he and his friend and Attila bandmate, Jon Small, were upset by what happened while Joel was living with Small and Small’s then-wife, Elizabeth Weber. So upset that Attila — a Led Zeppelin-inspired metal band, according to the New York Times — broke up and Joel started boozing, which sent him into a tailspin.

“I had no place to live,” Joel says in the documentary. “I was sleeping in laundromats, and I was depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic. So I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.’”

He tried twice to end his life in the early 1970s, according to the documentary. First, he took the entire lot of sleeping pills that his sister, then a medical assistant, had given him to help him sleep. That put him in the hospital.

“He was in a coma for days and days and days,” Judy Molinari says in the program. She thought she had killed her brother.

Joel says in the doc that he woke up in the hospital still suicidal, hoping to do it “right” the next time. His sister said he wound up drinking “lemon Pledge” furniture polish. That time, an unlikely person took him to the hospital: Small, his then-estranged best friend.

“Eventually,” Small says in the documentary, “I forgave him.”

As for those impulses to harm himself, they wound up paying off for Joel after he checked out of a facility he had checked himself into after the second suicide attempt.

“I got out of the observation ward and I thought to myself, you can utilize all those emotions to channel that stuff into music.”

Joel reconnected with Weber about a year after that, wrote about her in the 1973 song “Piano Man,” and married her from then until 1982. Marriages to Christie Brinkley, Katie Lee and current wife Alexis Roderick would follow.

The first part of the documentary covers Joel’s childhood and runs through his 1982 motorcycle accident, according to the New York Times. He doesn’t meet his “Uptown Girl,” Brinkley, until Part 2.

With a vast and notable lists of credits under her hat from over the years of her career, Dame Patricia Hodge opens up about her newest TV stint starring in BBC1’s newest drama Death Valley

Murder is no laughing matter for Patricia Hodge, who will be playing the role of Helena in the new BBC1 Saturday night drama Death Valley, starring Timothy Spall.

A veteran of long-running shows including Poirot, Miss Marple, Waking the Dead and Inspector Morse, she says of Death Valley: “It is sort of that new genre of humorous murder mysteries, which is quite a difficult thing to get your head around, because I don’t think there is anything funny about murder. But it’s a new popular thing.

“It was lovely working with Tim Spall, who is a darling. Anyway, I am interested to see how it pans out. I am not the new Vera, though!”

READ MORE: BBC TV star opens up on neurodiversity battle as she admits ‘I have ADHD’

Patricia, 78, filmed around Cardiff for the show, which follows eccentric retired actor John Chapel (Spall) and detective sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) as they form an unlikely, and often comedic, crime-solving partnership working in and around the Welsh valleys.

Specific details of Patricia’s role are being closely guarded, but she is one of a number of guest stars and, with her vast experience of crime drama, she is sure to add to the intrigue.

Despite being close to 80, the star of A Very English Scandal is also busy working on another BBC murder mystery series, The Marble Hall Murders, based on the Anthony Horowitz books.

Patricia, whose movie credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Elephant Man, clearly loves working. “Work is what we are,” she says. “I sort of like being challenged. I don’t want to sit on the back foot. I want to sit on the front foot.

“I am filming this new Anthony Horowitz thing at the moment, The Marble Hall Murders, and I have been filming in Dublin and Greece, and I have never been to Greece, so that has been lovely. I am very lucky to work. Work engages me.”

She is also acclimatising to life without her husband, music publisher Peter Owen, who died aged 85 in 2016, after suffering from dementia. Downton Abbey star Patricia cared for him until his death and has helped raise awareness of dementia.

Speaking movingly in the past about her feelings of guilt over not being able to prevent her husband’s memory loss, which eventually meant he couldn’t recognise her, Patricia is not interested in finding anyone else.

She says of her loss: “It is always a big adjustment, isn’t it? We had over 40 years together, and it is now coming up to nine years (without Peter). I am not looking (for anyone new). It is not on my radar at all. I don’t know what I feel, really. I have wonderful friends. I am very lucky to work.”

Besides acting, Patricia has been committed to supporting Historic Royal Palaces – the charity which oversees the restoration of ageing ancient palaces, held in trust for the nation by King Charles and the Royal Collection. She enjoys seeing new life being breathed into these impressive sites, for the nation to enjoy.

Patricia, who lives in Barnes, south west London, continues: “I was on the development board of the Historic Royal Palaces when it came out of the public purse and was given charity status. It suddenly made all these palaces belong to the nation again. And they gave them public ownership.

“I am no longer working on it, but it was amazing to be involved, and I would like to be involved again. I guess we only have so many hours in a day. During my time, we oversaw the opening of Kew Palace, which was so amazing because nobody had seen it before, and the things they uncovered, they did it so beautifully. I live in Barnes, so I am not far from it.”

Avid history lover Patricia was also keen to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. She says: “I stood on Hammersmith Bridge for the VE Day flypast and I watched the bombers come over. I was hit in the gut to think of what our parents went through. What they put up with and how they came through.”

Turning to more fickle matters, Patricia is keen to pay tribute to the man behind her meticulously well-groomed appearance. She says: “I have very enduring relationships. All my friendships go way back, so I have had the same hairdresser for years, since 1981. It is a man called Hugh Green.”

Immensely stylish, Patricia has an enviably ageless image. But she insists: “I have never, never lied about my age. I don’t think there’s any point, because people can find it out very easily.

“I think, better to rejoice in what you are rather than try and stifle it. And if people find out and they know you’ve been lying, then what else are you lying about? You know, far better to live and embrace the truth.”

Made an OBE in 2017 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her services to drama, despite being widely regarded as acting royalty, Patricia likes to be known simply as “Hodge.”She says: ” The diminutives in Patricia are a nightmare. For the first 10 years of my life, I was called Patricia.

“Then I went to a school where, from day one, the teacher introduced me as Pat, without asking or anything. That was an automatic thing, that if you were called Patricia, you were called Pat.

“And then I got a bit tired of it, because actually Pat Hodge is not a great combo. When I went to drama school, I was called Trish or Trisha.

“There are a lot of people who just call me Hodge, and I think there’s only about two, if not three of us (Hodges) in the whole of equity. So now, when I answer the phone, I go, ‘Hodge.’”

Whether Hodge, Pat, Trisha, or Trish, asked if Dame Patricia Hodge has a certain ring to it, it becomes clear that if she gets another call from the Palace, this grande dame of British acting will take it in her stride.

She says: I don’t think about it. We should not get prizes for just doing a job. I am an OBE. Do you know what? If it happens, it happens.”

• The new series of Death Valley begins on BBC1 on Sunday, at 8.15pm.

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