Paul Gambaccini says he will keep broadcasting after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Paul Gambaccini said he will continue presenting his BBC Radio 2 and Greatest Hits Radio programmes after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in early 2025, telling listeners that “for now life goes on as normal.” The 77-year-old said he will keep fronting The Paul Gambaccini Collection on BBC Radio 2 from 8-10pm on Sundays, alongside his other shows on Greatest Hits Radio.

Gambaccini said he was grateful for the kindness and support he has already received and said he would be as open as he could as his condition progresses. His decision to remain on air turns a private diagnosis into a workplace story as well as a health one, showing that an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis does not necessarily mean an immediate end to a public-facing job. For a broadcaster whose voice has been part of British radio for more than 50 years, the announcement also challenges the assumption that dementia always forces people out of work at once.

BBC Radio 2 head Helen Thomas said the station was sending Gambaccini its love and best wishes and would continue to support him with his weekly music show. The Alzheimer’s Society said his experience shows there can be life after a dementia diagnosis and said it had been supporting him and his husband. That support matters in practice because people with early Alzheimer’s may still be able to keep working, provided they have understanding from employers, a manageable schedule and room to adapt as symptoms change.

Gambaccini’s career gives the disclosure added weight. He has been a broadcaster on the BBC since the 1970s, has presented programmes on BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 4 and Greatest Hits Radio, and was inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame in 2005. His long run on British radio has made him one of the medium’s most familiar voices, and his decision to speak publicly about Alzheimer’s puts a high-profile face on the realities of living with a diagnosis while still working.

His statement arrives as other well-known broadcasters have recently spoken publicly about dementia, adding to a broader conversation about how the condition presents in its early stages and how people can remain visible, active and supported after diagnosis.