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.
Mr Snow, 78, is best known for presenting the broadcaster's news between 1989 and 2021.
He was diagnosed with dementia in 2023 and until now had kept the news private.
The veteran broadcaster stated he decided to reveal the news now to raise awareness of the condition.
Jon Snow was diagnosed with the condition in 2023 but decided to share the news now
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, he asked: "If I don't speak out, who will?"
Mr Snow's mother Joan also suffered from the disease for 10 years before she died.
His wife, Dr Precious Lunga, an epidemiologist, has spoken publicly about his condition for the first time ahead of a documentary the former newsreader has produced to highlight awareness of the illness.
Mr Snow admitted he initially wished to conceal his diagnosis due to societal attitudes towards cognitive conditions.
Jon Snow decided to share his diagnosis to raise awareness of Alzheimer's
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"At the beginning I wanted to hide it, there's so much prejudice," he said. "Any sort of hint of mental decay, you're sort of dead."
The broadcaster, who anchored Channel 4 News for more than three decades, added: "There are moments when it pops up but it's not an all day every day condition, and that's what I cling onto."
Dr Lunga revealed that her husband descended into severe depression following his departure from television, becoming increasingly isolated and disengaged from activities that had previously brought him joy.
His memory deteriorated noticeably, with the father-of-three forgetting when friends had contacted him.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Jon Snow in 2005
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"Nobody ever rings. I'm forgotten," he would tell his wife.
Dr Lunga described the difficult period of keeping his struggles private whilst fielding concerned enquiries from those close to him.
"Friends kept asking me if Jon was all right and I would have to lie and say he's fine, but I knew he wasn't," she told the Daily Mail.
She eventually convinced him to seek medical attention in 2023, which led to the Alzheimer's diagnosis following brain imaging.
Jon Snow and Jim Gray in 2012
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The couple, who have a five-year-old son together, have now chosen to share his story publicly.
The documentary, entitled Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, will see the veteran journalist travel to Zambia to investigate a mining disaster. It is scheduled for broadcast on June 20.
Alzheimer's disease currently affects approximately one million people across the United Kingdom and represents the country's leading cause of death.
Mr Snow's career in journalism spanned several decades, during which he became one of British television's most recognisable news presenters.
Dr Lunga's expertise as a neurologist has provided the family with particular insight into the disease, though she has spoken candidly about the emotional challenges of watching her husband's health deteriorate.
The forthcoming documentary represents what Mr Snow has described as one final major journalistic endeavour, combining his lifelong commitment to investigative reporting with his personal experience of living with Alzheimer's.