Ex-Channel 4 News host Jon Snow reveals he has Alzheimer's

Jon Snow, the pb presenter of Channel 4 News for 32 years, has revealed helium has Alzheimer's disease.

The 78-year-old writer and his woman Precious Lunga volition beryllium seen navigating his diagnosis successful a movie that volition person its premiere adjacent week.

"At the opening I wanted to fell it, there's so overmuch prejudice," helium says successful the film.

"Any benignant of hint of intelligence decay, you're sort of dead. There are moments erstwhile it pops up but it's not an all day every day condition, and that's what I cling onto."

Snow was the pb presenter connected Channel 4 News from 1989 to 2021, aft serving arsenic ITN's Washington analogous and diplomatic exertion successful the 80s.

Asked astir the interaction of the disease, helium said: "I don't cognize really. I don't consciousness disabled successful immoderate way."

He said helium inactive questions the diagnosis. "I mean sometimes I uncertainty whether I've truly got it. I don't cognize if it's wide knowledge," helium told his friend, broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

Alzheimer's illness is the astir communal origin of dementia, and the Alzheimer's Society said it is simply a communal misconception to question whether dementia is simply a mean portion of ageing.

Snow's woman told the Mail helium was initially reluctant to spot a doctor, but helium saw a specializer successful 2023.

"He was fixed what's called a mini-mental authorities exam and helium aced it. He got 29 retired of 30," she said.

"It was lone later, erstwhile they did a encephalon scan, that we got a diagnosis."

Michelle Dyson, main enforcement of the Alzheimer's Society, said Snow's determination to talk publically was "a existent enactment of courageousness and his communicative volition resonate with truthful many".

"Alongside his woman Precious, Jon is shining a airy connected the request for faster, fairer entree to diagnosis," she said.

In his caller documentary, Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, helium is seen uncovering an biology catastrophe successful Zambia.

The movie volition person its premiere astatine Sheffield Documentary Festival adjacent week and beryllium shown connected Channel 4 connected 20 June.

Channel 4's caput of quality Louisa Compton said: "Jon Snow is not conscionable 1 of Channel 4's astir recognisable faces - helium is portion of our precise cloth and is dearly loved by viewers astir the UK.

"It is simply a profound privilege that we are capable to papers his past large investigation, successful a sensitively made movie that frames Jon's existent affairs nous alongside a caller beingness lived with Alzheimer's.

"We anticipation this movie volition spell a agelong mode to rise consciousness of however to unrecorded whilst facing a life-changing diagnosis."

During his Channel 4 career, Snow was a fixture successful the workplace arsenic good arsenic travelling astir to study connected stories including the autumn of the Berlin Wall, the merchandise of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama's inauguration.

He received Bafta's Richard Dimbleby Award for the champion factual publication to tv successful 2005, and the Bafta Fellowship - the organisation's highest accolade - successful 2015.

His different honours see 10 Royal Television Society awards, including six for presenter of the year.