Veteran Channel 4 journalist Jon Snow reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis
Dominique Farrell
Former Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society said.
The 78-year-old journalist will discuss the reality of living with the condition in a documentary titled 'Jon Snow: A Last Big Story'.
He is famed for his decades-long career as a journalist and TV presenter and known for being the longest-running face of Channel 4 News - which he anchored from 1989 to 2021.
Jon Snow revealed he has had the disease since 2023, adding that before his diagnosis he was reluctant to see a doctor and insisted there was nothing wrong.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, he reflected on how he still questions whether he has Alzheimer’s, saying: "I mean sometimes I doubt whether I’ve really got it.
"I don’t know if it’s widespread knowledge. I don’t feel disabled in any way."
The journalist also revealed he was part of a clinical trial for the condition and has previously spoken about how his mother, Joan, struggled with Alzheimer’s in the years leading up to her death.
Alzheimer’s is the ongoing decline of brain functioning and can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities, according to the NHS.
The documentary film will follow the Bafta-winning journalist as he navigates life with the condition, and as he undergoes an investigation into a Zambian community whose land and water were impacted by a mining disaster.
In it, he is said to open up about how he is dealing with the disease, saying:
"At the beginning I wanted to hide it, there’s so much prejudice.
"Any sort of hint of mental decay, you’re sort of dead. There are moments when it pops up but it’s not an all-day, every-day condition, and that’s what I cling on to."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised him as a "true giant in journalism" in light of his diagnosis, and in a post on X he said: "Jon Snow has spent his life asking difficult questions and telling important stories.
"Now, in sharing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he is helping others feel less alone and raising awareness of a condition that affects so many families."
Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society Michelle Dyson said:
"Jon’s decision to talk publicly about his dementia diagnosis is a real act of courage and his story will resonate with so many.
"His support for Alzheimer’s Society will help spark a national conversation about dementia that we so desperately need.
"Despite being the UK’s biggest killer, dementia is still not treated with the same urgency as other major health conditions like cancer."
'Jon Snow: A Last Big Story' will air on Channel 4 at 8pm on 20 June.
RTÉ Entertainment.