BBC presenter resigns after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Radio Scotland presenter for BBC, Janice Forsyth, has resigned after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

Forsyth has worked with BBC for over 30 years while presenting shows on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Four, and BBC Radio Three. She was also a major lead in establishing a podcast production company five years ago, a role she will continue.

Forsyth, 65, said the diagnosis came as a “huge blow” but also provided her with some relief. In a statement, she stressed that since 2022 she had been finding some tasks difficult. 

She said, “I’d hoped that I was simply worn out by my many years as a freelance broadcaster and perhaps exhausted following the loss of our dear mother, Patricia, the previous Christmas, but sadly, I now have a firm diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

She continued, “It’s been a huge blow, but I’m also feeling some relief that I finally have an explanation for lapses I’d been experiencing, and I’m managing to remain buoyant most of the time.”

During her career, she interviewed stars such as Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and Billy Connolly. She also presented the Culture Show on BBC Radio Scotland, which then became the Janice Forsyth Show and then the Afternoon Show, a role which she undertook from 2013 until early 2024.

The veteran has also appeared on BBC titles such as Radio Café, Authors Live, and the Hogmanay Show. Away from the airwaves, she has worked as a columnist and is also the chair of the Rothesay Pavilion charity, a group set up to restore the arts venue on the Isle of Bute.

She further said, “Much as I have loved seeking out and sharing the best of music/literature/theatre/cinema with you, I’m happy now to have the time and freedom to enjoy all of these simply for my own pleasure.’’

She continued, “Call it living in the moment, and you won’t be far off!

“I never took my role lightly and hope I always gave my best, both for your sake and that of my interviewees

“It’s been a blast, and I send a high five to everyone who tuned in on Saturday mornings or more recently weekday afternoons and heard something interesting.”

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