Jon Snow Confirms Alzheimer's Diagnosis Ahead of New Documentary Premiere
Jon Snow, the prominent journalist who anchored Channel 4 News for 32 years, has revealed he has Alzheimer's disease. The 78-year-old and his wife, Precious Lunga, will present their journey with the diagnosis in a film set to premiere next week.
Snow stated in the documentary, “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 onto.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail to support an Alzheimer's Society campaign, Snow posed, “If I don’t speak out, who will?” He acknowledged questioning the diagnosis at times, telling broadcaster Kirsty Lang, “I mean sometimes I doubt whether I’ve really got it. I don’t know if it’s widespread knowledge.”
His wife, an epidemiologist, noted that Snow was initially reluctant to seek medical advice but consulted a specialist in 2023. Despite a high score on a mini-mental state exam, the diagnosis was confirmed following a brain scan.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Snow as “a true giant in journalism,” adding that he is now “helping others feel less alone and raising awareness of a condition that affects so many families.” Michelle Dyson, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, praised Snow’s “real act of courage,” stating his story will “resonate with so many.”
The documentary, titled Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, shows Snow investigating an environmental disaster in Zambia. It premieres at the Sheffield Documentary Festival next week and will be broadcast on Channel 4 on 20 June.
