HEARTBREAKING: BBC legend’s wife gives heartbreaking insight into star’s Alzheimer’s battle
Bread star Bryan Murray no longer recognises many of his friends and former colleagues as he continues to live with Alzheimer’s, his long-term partner Una Crawford O’Brien has revealed.
The legendary actor, best known to millions for playing Shifty Boswell in the BBC sitcom Bread, was diagnosed with the condition in 2019.
Bryan later went public with his diagnosis in 2022 and continued acting in the RTÉ soap Fair City until announcing his retirement in April 2025.
Una has now shared a heartbreaking update on his condition, revealing that former colleagues still visit him even though he no longer knows who they are.
Former Fair City Colleagues Still Visit Bryan
Bryan and Una met while working together on Fair City, where they played married couple Bob and Renee Charles.
Una said the programme’s cast and crew remain deeply fond of Bryan and regularly ask how he is doing.
“Everybody asks about him; he was such a big part of Fair City for so long as well, and I met him there,” she told RSVP.
She praised executive producer Brigie de Courcy for the way Bryan’s situation had been handled, adding that the support had continued throughout the wider production.
“They all want to know how he’s doing, and they go out to see him,” she said.
But Una admitted that Bryan no longer recognises the people who come to visit.
“He doesn’t know them when they see him, but that doesn’t matter,” she explained.
“The stimulation is there, and he enjoys people chatting with him.”
Una Made Difficult Care Home Decision
In 2025, Una made the difficult decision to move Bryan into a full-time care home as his condition progressed.
While she has said that he appears settled and happy there, she previously revealed another painful reality — Bryan now often fails to recognise her when she visits.
Despite that, Una has continued to be closely involved in his life while friends and former colleagues also maintain contact.
Bryan’s retirement from Fair City in April 2025 brought an end to a remarkable television career spanning decades.
Bryan Became a Household Name in Bread
For many British television viewers, Bryan will always be remembered as Shifty Boswell in Carla Lane’s hit sitcom Bread.
He appeared in the programme between 1988 and 1991 and became one of its most recognisable stars.
His performance helped earn him a BBC Personality of the Year award and cemented his place as a familiar face on British television.
But Bread was far from his only memorable role.
Two years after the sitcom ended, Bryan joined Channel 4 soap Brookside as Trevor Jordache.
Brookside Role Became Part of TV History
Bryan made his debut as Trevor on March 8, 1993.
Although the character appeared on screen for only around two months, he became central to one of the most famous storylines in British soap history.
Trevor was portrayed as an abusive husband and father before being killed by his wife Mandy, played by Sandra Maitland, as she tried to protect their daughter Beth, played by Anna Friel.
His death led to the infamous “body under the patio” storyline, with Trevor’s body concealed for two years before eventually being discovered.
The storyline became one of Brookside’s defining plots and ensured Bryan’s relatively short time on the soap left a lasting impact.
Friends Continue to Be Part of His Life
Decades after those famous roles, Bryan’s former colleagues remain part of his life even as Alzheimer’s has changed his ability to recognise them.
For Una, the visits still have value regardless of whether Bryan remembers exactly who is sitting beside him.
Although his condition has progressed since his 2019 diagnosis, she says he continues to enjoy having people around him and responds to the stimulation of conversation.
It is a bittersweet situation for those who worked alongside him for so many years.
Bryan may no longer recognise many of the familiar faces who come through the door, but they have clearly not forgotten him.
