TV legend Alastair Stewart has revealed he has vascular dementia just months after retiring from a 50-year career on air.
The former ITV newsreader and journalist, 71, said today that his “very short-term memory” had become “tricky” and his motor skills “very tricky”.
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Alastair Stewart revealed he had vascular dementiaCredit: Alamy
Stewart told GB News he visited his GP after starting to feel “distressed” six to nine months ago.
Scans showed he had suffered a series of strokes before being diagnosed with vascular dementia, which he described as “incurable”.
He said: “It was like a scene from Emergency Department 10 because the results came in and I really had a series of minor strokes.
“Not the big one where your face falls off and your arm goes wrong, but it’s like a pepper, and the cumulative effect of that is that I’ve been diagnosed with early vascular dementia.”
Stewart said he tried to mitigate the effects by quitting smoking and keeping his brain active with puzzles and dog walks.
The NHS says the disease affects more than 944,000 people in Britain.
His last day on the job came in March after he announced his retirement.
He said at the time: “I’m almost 71 years old and I still get the biggest bang for my buck from live television – it’s the best job in the world.
“However, the demanding preparation for two live interview shows a week and the journey from Hampshire to London is considerable for them.
“I want to reduce my commitment while I’m still in the lead as an old broadcaster, not an old one.
“Luckily the time is mine – I just want to spend more of it with my family, my horses and the charities that have meant so much to me over the years.”
He and his wife Sally, married since 1978, have four children – Freddie, Clemmie, Oscar and Alexander.
Stewart was one of the last journalists to interview Lord Mountbatten before he was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.
After starting work at Southern Television in Southampton in 1976, he joined ITN in 1980 as an industry correspondent before soon becoming a regular newsreader.
He was awarded an OBE in 2006.
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Stewart’s last presentation took place in March after he announced his retirement. Credit: Rex
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His television career began in 1976 and included many years at ITV. Credit: Rex
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