ITV icon Alastair Stewart reveals dementia diagnosis months after TV retirement
10.09.2023 - 13:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Alastair Stewart has been diagnosed with vascular dementia just months after he announced he was retiring from his TV career.
The Mirror reports the 71-year-old journalist retired from his permanent role on ITV back in March - but was contributing to GB News on occasion. Now, the former journalist has revealed he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia, sharing how his "very short term memory" has become "tricky", while his motor skills have also become "very tricky".
In an appearance on GB News on Sunday, Alastair explained he visited his doctor between six to nine months ago after he felt "discombobulated", and feared he had "early on-set dementia".
The star told presenter Camilla Tominey that he underwent scans and discovered that he had suffered multiple short strokes, and was then diagnosed with the disease. While he noted dementia is "incurable", he is taking many steps to alleviate the severity of the condition.
He explained on the programme: "About six to nine months ago I began to feel a bit discombobulated. I wasn't forgetful but things like doing your shoelaces up properly, making sure your tie was straight, remembering the call time for your programme is four o'clock not five o'clock – not turning up early or late – and stuff like that.
"And I then decided I might have something wrong up here. So I went to see my GP who is brilliant and I said, 'I'm really worried I might have dementia – early onset dementia' and the GP, to his credit, said: 'I don't know, I've no idea.
"Sometimes people of your age – particularly if they've had a fascinating, active life – try to find excuses because they can't cope with old age. But the only way you can find out is if you have a scan'."
The former ITV star continued: "I had