The former anchor, 79, hosted the show from 1989 – 2021, making him the channel’s longest-serving newsreader.
Ahead of an upcoming Channel 4 documentary in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society, the broadcaster announced his diagnosis.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, his wife Precious said: ‘I work in the health field so I knew the statistics, but he was very active, he cycled everywhere and exercised, barely drank, was a healthy eater, and all these factors protect you against dementia.’
Jon married Dr Precious Lunga in 2024 (Picture: Danny Martindale/WireImage)
She went on: ‘When Jon is tired, he gets less coherent, so our son will say, “Dada, you need to rest.”’
The couple, who married in 2021, had a baby via surrogacy in 2021.
She revealed: ‘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.’
The documentary will follow the former news anchor as he navigates life with dementia.
More information about Alzheimer’s disease
More information about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can be found at the Alzheimer’s Society website: alzheimers.org.uk.
You can contact their support line on 0333 150 3456.
He hopes to raise awareness of the dementia, which is the country’s biggest killer.
The condition affects around a million people in the UK.
This is a breaking story, more to follow.
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