'Emmerdale' actress Laura Norton discusses her children's Usher Syndrome and 'Drama Queens' being 'theraputic'

‘Emmerdale’ actress Laura Norton has spoken out about both of her children being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, ahead of the airing of new reality TV series ‘Drama Queens’ which she features in.

Norton, 40, who has played Kerry Wyatt since 2012, lives with her fiancé , former 'Emmerdale' co-star Mark Jordon, who played Daz Spencer on the soap, and their two children, three-year-old son Jessie and daughter Ronnie, who is 17-months-old.

The new eight-episode reality TV series ‘Drama Queens’, which will air later this month, will follow the lives of different female actresses from across three of Britain’s biggest soap operas; 'Emmerdale', 'Coronation Street' and 'Hollyoaks'.

Ahead of the broadcast of the show, Norton has spoken to OK! Magazine about both of her young children being diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic disease that affects both hearing and vision, last year.

She told the celebrity magazine: “It’s still quite raw. It’s a huge part of our lives. A lot has happened in this last year. It’s very scary because you want to know what the future is going to look like for your children.”

She continued: “There are so many people who are so much worse off. We’re so lucky to have what we have, but it’s all relative. There’s only one way out of the other side, and that’s to go through. All you want for your child is for everything to be OK. You don’t want them to face challenges, you don’t want them to have any less opportunities than anybody else.”

She said that Jesse and Ronnie are both happy children. “They’re doing amazing. They’re surpassing all their milestones, they both wear hearing aids and they’re thriving in the face of adversity. Everything right now is perfect.”

Viewers of ‘Drama Queens’ will see Norton waking up at 5am to get ready for her first day back at work on ‘Emmerdale’ after maternity leave following the birth of her youngest child. Norton also told OK! that she hopes showing the reality of her everyday life in ‘Drama Queens’ will also raise awareness for Cure Usher, a charity dedicated to directly funding research into and supporting people living with Usher syndrome. Norton said she has embraced filming the reality show, but she struggled at first to open up on camera after years of playing characters. “It’s one thing being really confident as an actor – it’s another thing being yourself. It’s very exposing.

“I found myself having a bit of a guard up in vulnerable moments, and I had to work out how to take that down. I’m not used to letting people in that way, but also I realise the stories are really important and there’s a reason I wanted to do this.”

But, she said she found filming ‘Drama Queens’ therapeutic. Viewers of the programme will also get an insight in to her life with fiancé Jordon, whom she has been engaged to since 2018. The couple have had their wedding plans pushed back by Covid-19 and are now focused on being parents, but say they still really want to tie the knot.

They are both now patrons and trustees of Cure Usher and raise money to fund research that could help their children, and others like them around the world.

What is Usher Syndome?

Usher Syndrome is the leading cause of genetically inherited, combined hearing and sight loss, according to Cure Usher. It can also affect balance. For most people with the condition, hearing loss occurs from birth and their sight deteriorates as they get older.

It is estimated that over 11,000 people in the UK live with Usher syndrome - over 400,000 people worldwide. People with Usher syndrome are often diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence depending on the severity and type of the condition. There is currently no cure for Usher syndrome.