Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis

Alastair Stewart details dealing with dementia

Alastair Stewart and his wife Sally appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday to discuss the veteran newsreader's vascular dementia diagnosis.

The former ITV News presenter, 72, revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia in 2019.

Appearing with his wife Sally to share his reality of living with the condition, he said: "My professional life is okay, I still do a bit for GB News, they're very supportive."

He added: "It's my private life and my life at home that is chaotic, so for example coming to see you guys this morning. She [Sally] had to do my tie, she has to make sure that the braces are okay on the suit and that it all matches, hangs together.

“It's more than discombobulating, which is a good word I like to use, it's demeaning for me, it's slightly demeaning for her as well. She becomes a carer after half a century of marriage!"

Alastair Stewart and his wife Sally appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday to discuss the veteran newsreader's vascular dementia diagnosis (Image: BBC)

Talking to Sally about how she is coping, she emotionally admitted: "It's hard work, it's frustrating, it's quite depressing sometimes but we try and find humour in it all. It's not easy, you're not trained to do it, you just have to make it up as you go along!"

Speaking about when she first started to worry about Alastair, Sally said: "It was probably about two years around now, he was just doing things strangely at home, leaving lights on, which doesn't sound a big deal but for someone who's obsessed with turning lights off.

“He couldn't tell the time on a clock, he couldn't reset the clock. He was getting confused with days, leaving doors open, leaving gates open, little tiny changes but it was a concern."

Host Jon Kay then pointed out: "Yet to meet you this morning, to hear you this morning, you seem just as fluent and as in control as ever, it's this strange contrast, right?"

The former ITV News presenter, 72, revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia in 2019 (Image: BBC) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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To which Alastair said: "It is a strange contrast and I think as Sally quite rightly said, she has this wonderful expression: 'Just get on with it' and I think you have to do that.

“Part of coming out, which to use another expression which she [Sally] coined, about my condition that's part of why we wanted to come out, to say to folk there's one in two people will either have dementia or be directly affected, as she is, by someone with dementia because they live together, married or whatever it might be.

“It's to give people the confidence, if you're worried about your own condition, you can't tell the time on an old fashioned clock, you can't do your shoelaces up, go and have a conversation with your GP. Our GP has been brilliant. The NHS has looked after us brilliantly."

He added that by seeing the GP, there are things that you can do to stop the condition from getting worse saying that with vascular dementia you give up smoking, drinking and you do a lot more exercise. He said: "That will help you regain some control!"

BBC Breakfast continues on weekdays at 6am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis

Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis

Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis

Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis

Alastair Stewart's wife makes heartbreaking admission amid ITV star's dementia diagnosis