is a well-recognised face across the nation after kicking off his acting career in 1979.
The 73-year-old is best known for starring as Neville “Nev” Hope in the comedy-drama and as Robert “Robbie” Lewis in ’s long-running procedural drama .
While the actor has remained predominantly private about his personal life, Kevin opened up about becoming an ambassador for the Society.
He has been determined to campaign for improved research and funding for dementia, which was motivated by his own mother’s devastating diagnosis.
Kevin’s mum Mary, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the late 1990s and lived with the disease for 10 years before passing away in 2009.
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Kevin also starred in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (Image: ITV)
Reflecting on his mother’s life, the TV star described the grammar school teacher as a “fiercely independent woman” who became angry as her memory began to fail.
Kevin candidly told The Telegraph: “At first she would forget where she had left the car was, or she would lose her house keys.
“It was hard to be sure what the problem was at first but she became increasingly depressed,” which he revealed led to her 2003 Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
In his advocacy, the actor has taken on The Trek Twenty-six in honour of his mother and participated in The Memory Walk.
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Kevin’s mother Mary was diagnosed in 2003 (Image: www.alzheimers.org.uk)
Kevin also supported the release of the GameChanger app, which is a research project that asks people without dementia to play games on a smartphone app to help improve how the condition is diagnosed, researched, and treated.
In 2009, the Inspector Morse star revealed that the diagnosis had impacted him and his siblings greatly as they would take turns to make daily phone calls and weekly 700-mile round trips to her home in Hexham.
He also recalled the moment Mary attempted to walk home, forgetting she was 300 miles from her beloved Northumberland, which made her deterioration apparent.
However, as her aggression mounted, Kevin revealed she was admitted to hospital and finally transferred into a private care home in west London.
“It was a struggle to find somewhere, there aren’t many good homes and essentially you are waiting for some poor soul to die,” Kevin added.