Jon Snow’s wife Dr Precious Lunga has said they felt people “struck him off” after his dementia diagnosis.
The former Channel 4 News presenter, 78, shared this month that he has been living with Alzheimer’s since 2023.
His wife, 51, said on Woman’s Hour: “We felt people were striking Jon off. We felt that certainly.
“It wasn’t really due to malice, but a lack of understanding and knowledge about what happens when you have dementia.
“I think people are also fearful of Alzheimer’s because we fear we might get it ourselves, and with fear comes stigma.
“With stigma you either want to look away or cover up, but making this film … we wanted people to start having a conversation and dialogue about this.”
Explaining why her husband decided to share his diagnosis publicly in the Channel 4 documentary Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, which airs this weekend, Dr Lunga 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 and he felt he still had so much to give, which is why he decided to make this documentary.”
After Snow retired in 2021, his wife explained he went into a “deep depression” for around six months.
“As he was coming out of that, I noticed he was more forgetful and, as a neuroscientist, I thought something was going on,” she said.
After initially receiving the news of Snow’s diagnosis, Dr Lunga said she “burst into tears”.
“It is a shock when you receive that information and it upended all our plans post-retirement for Jon, and we had to accept our lives were changing.”
Although she had reservations about taking part in the documentary, she said: “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.”
Dr Lunga said they initially faced “confusion” and had to “process” their new reality, adding: “It’s not just about surviving – it’s about how we can live and thrive.
“We tend to live in the moment more now too. He is now very present when he’s there. Finding that balance is a constant juggle though.”
Snow and his wife have been married since 2010 and share a son, who was born in 2021.
Jon Snow: A Last Big Story airs at 8pm on Saturday, June 20 on Channel 4.
Alzheimer’s Society is available for information and support on 0333 150 3456 or at alzheimers.org.uk
