Jon Snow's cherished time with son, 5, is heartbreakingly snatched away by Alzheimer's battle after broadcaster, 78, shared hopes of becoming a 'hands on' father and doting husband to Precious Lunga, 51, in his retirement

As Channel 4's longest-serving newsreader, Jon Snow was preparing for a change in pace when he retired in December 2021, at the age of 74.

Having just welcomed a baby boy with wife Precious Lunga – a Zimbabwean epidemiologist – the plan was to travel between Africa and the States, where Precious could continue her work in public health and Jon could look after their son Tafara.

Yet within weeks of Jon's last broadcast, his health began to deteriorate, and by 2023 he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

It came as a devastating blow to the newsreader, who had planned to use his retirement to spend quality time with his son and right the wrongs of his past.

In his 2005 memoir Shooting History, Jon expressed regret about being an absent father to his two daughters Leila and Freya (now in their 40s), and leaving their mother Madeleine, his former partner of 33 years, to look after them while he was off covering wars and revolutions.

When he married Precious in 2010 and welcomed a baby via surrogacy in 2021, the pair had hoped that parenthood might be different this time round and that, after retiring, Jon could be a hands-on father.

Now, Jon, 78, is doing all he can to spend time with his son, playing the piano and painting together, reading Tafara nightly bedtime stories and teaching him how to ride a bike.

Yet Precious, 51, revealed their son is aware that something is happening to his father and has become a little carer himself.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in an interview conducted by Jon's friend and fellow broadcaster Kirsty Wark, Precious revealed: 'When Jon is tired, he gets less coherent, so our son will say, "Dada, you need to rest."'

Precious added that she was aware that starting a family with a much older man was not without its risks but that she had not been prepared for his Alzheimer's diagnosis.

She explained: '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.'

The couple's road to becoming parents had not been easy, marred by 'numerous medical setbacks and miscarriages', which resulted in using a surrogate.

Announcing the birth of his son in a statement back in March 2021, Jon said: 'In our desire to seal our now 11 years of marriage with a baby, my wife suffered numerous medical setbacks and miscarriages.

'Consequently, we will always be deeply grateful to our surrogate, who carried our embryo to term.

'Amid these challenging times, we feel doubly blessed to be able to celebrate our good fortune.'

Jon had embraced becoming a father in his 70s, telling Saga Exceptional in 2023: 'There are three very small people in my life – two grandsons, aged one and three, and a son, Tafara, who is two going on five.

'Having him was not easy but we persisted because, at 48, my wife is a good deal younger than me, and she very much wanted and deserved a baby.

'When he was born, life felt complete. I'm at complete ease with late fatherhood. I don't feel I'll drop him, I don't feel exhausted.

'I haven't found age relevant to my relationship with my son or grandsons. Is being a grandad different to being a dad? Not really. In the end, it's all love, isn't it?'

Jon married Precious in March 2010 on the Caribbean island of Mustique, the exclusive hangout of the rich and famous.

The ceremony was conducted at the £800-a-night Firefly Hotel, which has hosted guests including rocker Mick Jagger, royal Zara Phillips and actors Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant.

By this point, the pair had been together for nine years, having met when Jon was 53 and Precious was 26, but the couple dismissed critics of their age gap.

Jon said her 'mental age' was far higher than his, saying: 'She's very, very mature. I mean, she's a serious boffin.'

Before meeting Precious, Jon had been in a 35-year relationship with human rights lawyer Madeleine Colvin, with whom he has his two daughters.

He was also briefly engaged to one of his ITN colleagues, TV presenter Anna Ford, but their relationship fizzled out after only four months.

Yet by his own admission, his relationships and family ties would often take a back seat to his work, which saw him travel the world while serving as Channel 4's respected anchorman.

Following his retirement, however, Jon confessed he was on the 'lookout for more work' after an 'abrupt' end to his journalism career.

He was not accustomed to a slower pace in life and his deterioration began almost immediately.

Without the stimulation of the newsroom, he sank into a deep depression and appeared to lose his appetite for life.

When it came to obtaining his Alzheimer's diagnosis, Precious was unsure how much the changes in her husband were down to his depression or something else.

But ten months after recording his last bulletin, Jon woke one morning and told her he was late for work, first raising Precious's suspicions.

Now Jon has gone public with his diagnosis in a bid to raise awareness.

In England, more than a third of dementia sufferers don't have a diagnosis and, despite being one of the country's biggest killers, research into the condition lags way behind cancer.

According to Alzheimer's Society, for every 45 patients taking part in late-stage cancer clinical trials, just one person took part in dementia trials.

Jon approached Channel 4 with a plan to make a documentary about living with Alzheimer's but then something happened that changed the direction of the project.

While the family were on holiday at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, where Precious grew up, Jon fell into conversation with a local woman who told him about a major environmental disaster in neighbouring Zambia where a dam belonging to a Chinese-owned copper mine had collapsed, releasing millions of litres of toxic, acidic waste into the river and surrounding land.

The crew decided that Jon should investigate the spill and they would film his report both for the documentary and as an item for Channel 4 News.

'He literally lit up when he started doing it and began acting like the old Jon,' Precious revealed.

She added: 'Alzheimer's disease takes your confidence away and it was lovely watching him flower again. We know that if the brain is stimulated, it can slow down the disease.'

Precious went on to note that she hoped the documentary would teach people not to 'write off' Alzheimer's sufferers.

She continued: 'Life doesn't end with an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, but it changes dramatically.

'You can have Alzheimer's and still be a valuable member of society, but you need support to navigate it.'

Ahead of the documentary's release, Jon chose to go public with his diagnosis to the Daily Mail and has since been inundated with messages from fans, as well as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – who hailed the newsreader as a 'true giant in journalism'.

Reflecting on the influx of well-wishes, Jon said: 'I'm truly bowled over by the outpouring of support and affection since revealing my dementia diagnosis.'

Visits to the Alzheimer's Society website have surged following Jon's announcement, and the number of people accessing its symptom checker has more than doubled.

On this, the veteran news anchor said: 'As a journalist, you never expect to become the story, but it's heartening to know that sharing my experience has contributed to a surge in visits to Alzheimer's Society's website, with people seeking information, support and ways to get involved in the fight against dementia.

'Receiving a dementia diagnosis can turn your world upside down, but I really do believe it's better to know.'

His new documentary – Jon Snow: A Last Big Story – will see him navigate life with Alzheimer's as he undergoes an investigation into a Zambian community whose land and water were impacted by a mining disaster.

It will air on Channel 4 at 8pm on June 20.

The Daily Mail and Alzheimer's Society have partnered in a drive to beat dementia, which claims 76,000 lives each year and is the UK's biggest killer.

The Defeating Dementia campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease, in an effort to increase early diagnosis, boost research and improve care.

For dementia information and support, visit alzheimers.org.uk or phone the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456