Paul Gambaccini reveals Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Paul Gambaccini was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last year and says he intends to keep broadcasting for as long as he can, according to The Guardian. The 77-year-old DJ and presenter—long a familiar voice on BBC radio—said life “goes on as normal” for now, even as he acknowledged the uncertainty of the condition.

Gambaccini’s disclosure lands in an industry that sells continuity: the same voice in the same slot, week after week, with the listener barely noticing the years passing. In his case, that continuity has already been tested by institutions that prefer clean narratives to messy facts. The Guardian notes that Gambaccini was caught up in the aftermath of Operation Yewtree, the Metropolitan Police investigation that followed revelations about Jimmy Savile, and that he later won a payout from the Crown Prosecution Service after an unfounded historical sexual abuse allegation. He has described the BBC as the “worst employer of all time” for its treatment of him during the scandal, and said the then director general Tony Hall “caved in” amid a media “witch-hunt”.

Alzheimer’s is different from a legal case in one crucial way: there is no definitive moment of exoneration, only a progression that has to be managed in public and at work. Gambaccini said he has been supported by the Alzheimer’s Society since his diagnosis, and the charity’s chief executive, Michelle Dyson, used his story to underline that a diagnosis can open the door to treatment and support. That framing matters because many people delay seeking help precisely because they fear what the label will do to their job and relationships.

Gambaccini is trying to control that dynamic by setting expectations early. He told The Guardian he wants space to continue presenting music, and that he will be as open as he can as the condition progresses. He also described routines—tenpin bowling on Sundays, gym twice a week, early nights, a daily siesta—that read like the scaffolding of a working life built around staying sharp on air.

For the BBC and commercial radio, the immediate question is practical rather than sentimental: how to balance a presenter’s wish to carry on with the duty to listeners and colleagues when the work depends on memory, timing and judgement. Gambaccini currently presents the Paul Gambaccini Collection on BBC Radio 2 each Sunday and also hosts shows on Greatest Hits Radio.

He was diagnosed in 2025. He is still on the schedule.