Jon Snow's wife has opened up about how the veteran broadcaster felt "struck off" after his dementia diagnosis. The former Channel 4 News presenter will feature in the one-off 90-minute documentary Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, where he exposes injustice while fighting for a Zambian community whose homes were demolished by mining operations.
Who is Jon Snow's wife?
Jon Snow is married to Dr Precious Lunga, a Zimbabwean epidemiologist and neuroscientist. Born in Rhodesia, she pursued her studies in the UK, earning a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Currently, she serves as CEO and co-founder of Baobab Circle, an award-winning health technology firm that uses AI to tackle chronic diseases like diabetes across Africa.
Jon, 78, and Precious, 51, first met on the Caribbean island of Mustique in 2001 and married nine years later in 2010. The couple welcomed a son via surrogacy in March 2021, making Jon a father for the third time—he has two daughters from his previous relationship with human rights lawyer Madeleine Colvin.
Jon's Alzheimer's diagnosis and depression
In the documentary, Jon speaks candidly about his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2023, two years after retiring from his long-running career. Precious revealed that Jon fell into a "deep depression" for six months after retirement. Speaking on Woman's House, she said: "He said 'if I don't speak out who will?' It is something that affected his own mother and affects so many people. He felt that when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's they are written off, but it's not like you fall off a cliff. It's a gradual degradation of the brain. It doesn't mean you still can't contribute to the world."
Precious was initially hesitant about appearing in the documentary but changed her mind: "What helped me overcome it was the fact I am one of over one million people affected by dementia. That helped me get over the nervousness of telling our story. It is not the end and we are looking for opportunities to enjoy our life."
Jon Snow: A Last Big Story airs tonight, Sunday, June 21, at 8pm on Channel 4.
