For half a century, Jon Snow's vocation was to get to the truth of every story. Now the legendary journalist is telling his own – a truth he initially tried to ignore.
The 79-year-old former Channel 4 News presenter, who anchored the programme from 1989 to 2021, has revealed he is living with Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnosed in 2023, Snow has chosen to speak publicly for the first time, opening up in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail and in a new documentary, *Jon Snow: A Last Big Story*, produced by Basement Films and airing on Channel 4 on Saturday, 20 June.
“Jon Snow, 79, reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis; his documentary 'A Last Big Story' airs June 20.”
In the film, Snow admits he wanted to hide the diagnosis. “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,” he says. Yet despite the diagnosis, he still questions it. “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,” he said, wondering if his behaviour is simply normal for his age.
After retiring in 2021, Snow sank into a deep depression. He became withdrawn and lost interest in things he once loved. He worried that friends were no longer contacting him – “Nobody ever rings,” he said, “I’m forgotten.” In reality, he had forgotten about the calls.
His wife Precious, who appears alongside him in the documentary, said friends kept asking if he was alright. “I would have to lie and say he’s fine, but I knew he wasn’t,” she said.
Snow’s decision to go public is part of a wider effort to raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society, which he now supports. Michelle Dyson, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Society, called it “a real act of courage” and said his story “will resonate with so many.” She added: “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 n…”
The documentary, titled *A Last Big Story*, explores how Snow and his wife are living with the disease. In it, Snow reflects: “There are moments when it pops up but it's not an all day every day condition, and that's what I cling onto.”
Snow’s condition affects around a million people in the UK. The Alzheimer’s Society notes that while people often forget things as they get older, dementia is caused by diseases of the brain and can include problems with planning, decision-making, language, and changes in mood or behaviour. For Snow, the story he spent a lifetime chasing has become his own.