Three Brief: How Emmerdale helped people understand dementia

But last night Emmerdale did just that in order to highlight the struggle of those suffering from dementia.

Ashley, the former vicar of the village, was diagnosed with the brain disease and memory disorder last year. Since then his condition has worsened. He's become increasingly forgetful, aggressive and anxious.

His performance last night received lots of praise online, not only for his acting but also for helping millions of viewers understand dementia from the patient point of view.

And it's not just fans of the show who were moved by the special episode.

The Alzheimer's Society described it as a "realistic portrayal" believing "it will change people's perspective of dementia".

That was the aim of the cast, producers and writers.

Bryan Parry played Aaron Dingle dealing with Ashley's confused state. It was his debut on the soap.

Speaking to Three he said: "Soaps have a massive role in everyday British life. It is an element of escapism but at the same time people watch them, investing in the characters and learning."

He praised John Middleton's performance of Ashley.

"He's worked with various charities and done the story justice. In between scenes he'd be suggesting things to the director that we hadn't thought of. There's a scene in the episode where his speech impediment comes in. That was something that came from John."

More than 6.4m people watched last night's special Emmerdale episode and it was the most-watched show in its time slot.

Via Newsbeat