Former Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow has said he is not scared of his Alzheimer's diagnosis, but that he initially “wanted to hide it”.
The 78-year-old was speaking in Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, which begins with him being told he has the form of dementia following a test, and later sees him fight for a Zambian community which has been destroyed by a mining disaster, after he is alerted to the story while filming the Alzheimer's documentary.
Snow's Reaction to Diagnosis
Speaking about his condition at the end of the programme on Saturday, Snow said: “I don’t think I am scared, there are so many different degrees of condition, and it’s difficult to know where you are in that journey, for myself I don’t believe I am far on in that journey. “There’s no point allowing it to fossilise what you’re doing, you’ve got to go on, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Once his test is finished and it is revealed he has Alzheimer’s, Snow is asked whether he would be part of trials for treatment, to which he replies: “I’m your willing victim.” He added: “I think I wanted to hide it, there’s so much prejudice, any revelation of mental decay, you’re sort of dead. “There are moments when it pops up, but it’s not an all day everyday condition, so that’s what I cling on to.”
Support from Wife Dr Precious Lunga
His wife, Dr Precious Lunga, says at one point in the documentary that his disease is “dimming him”, but says “I didn’t want to add to that”, when speaking about why she encouraged him to pursue the mining disaster story. Dr Lunga said: “I think when we received a diagnosis, people were writing Jon off, and that’s when I realised how stigmatised Alzheimer’s is, and it made me so angry. “Actually, this is a progressive disease, but you can have Alzheimer’s and still be a valuable member of society, and still contribute if your loved ones are there to help you navigate it, so I want to give him as good a life as I can.”
Return to Reporting and Challenges
Snow is later shown working effectively with his old Channel 4 team again, telling them “I missed it, and I thought I was dead” before adding “I hope you’ve missed me”. He later thanked his crew and said he felt “50 years younger”, but there were times when his condition was shown to affect his work, as he asks a campaigner how many people were affected by the disaster numerous times and getting the same answer.
In a touching moment towards the end of the show, he is seen meeting up with fellow journalist Katie Razzall, who asks him about the story in Zambia, to which he replies “I didn’t end up reporting, but they (Channel 4) did report it”, not realising he had worked on it. Another section of the documentary shows Snow forgetting items while going shopping, with footage interspersed with that of a younger Snow reporting on dementia earlier in his career and how it impacts a person going shopping.
Documentary Conclusion and Public Revelation
At the end of the programme, Snow is shown successfully interviewing a lawyer representing the community who were impacted by the mining disaster. Earlier this month, Snow revealed that he has been living with Alzheimer’s since 2023, having retired in 2021. Alzheimer’s Society is available for information and support on 0333 150 3456 or at alzheimers.org.uk.
