Anna Richardson says dementia is the ‘biggest health and social crisis we are facing’ as she fronts hard-hitting documentary after her father Jim, 83, was diagnosed with the disease
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Anna Richardson has revealed she is shocked by the lack of support and understanding surrounding dementia, one of the most common diseases in modern times.
One in three people will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime, and her father is one of many people in Britain currently struggling with it.
Jim Richardson, 83, was once a leading figure in the Church of England and received an OBE for his services – now he is suffering the cruelty of the disease.
It has inspired TV presenter 54 – known for hosting Supersize vs Superskinny and Naked Attraction – to make a moving documentary on this subject.
The new show, airing on Channel 4 on October 2, is called Anna Richardson: Love Loss And Dementia.
Anna Richardson, 54, makes a deeply personal documentary after her father was diagnosed with an illness
The TV presenter, known for Supersize vs Superskinny, says making the TV doc was one of the hardest things she has done
Anna hopes she will raise awareness and improve understanding of dementia, just as Davina McCall has done for menopause.
“We don’t care about old people in this country – it’s an absolute crisis and it’s growing,” she said The times.
The documentary follows Richardson’s family life as they grapple with the reality of Jim’s dementia.
Stories of other people with dementia will also be explored, including a case of late-stage dementia and a man in his 20s with a gene that makes him go crazy.
“We’ve made cancer a priority, we’ve made obesity a priority. I don’t understand why the government doesn’t make this an absolute priority,” says Anna.
According to Anna, the support offered is not good enough for her father, an intelligent member of the clergy, who does not want to join patronizing tea parties to feel better.
Jim lives alone in sheltered accommodation, partly funded by social services and close to family in Staffordshire.
“He said to me, ‘When I die, I will go to the company of angels,’” Anna adds. Making the film makes me feel a little closer to him.”
The presenter is also frontman of the dating show Naked Attraction, in which singles undress in successive rounds for a chance to win a date with the participant.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological conditions
A GLOBAL CARE
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological conditions (affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many forms of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different forms of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of those diagnosed.
There are an estimated 5.5 million people in the US with Alzheimer’s disease. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk that he or she will develop dementia.
The number of diagnoses is increasing, but it is believed that many people with dementia are still undiagnosed.
IS THERE A TREATMENT?
There is currently no medicine against dementia.
But new medications can slow its progression and the sooner it is caught, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
Anna split from former Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins at Christmas 2020, but their split only came to light in late 2021
The presenter fronts the dating show Naked Attraction, in which singletons undress in successive rounds for a chance to win a date with the participant.
Anna said the show is “multigenerational, like Strictly” and says that while some viewers may cringe, there is “nothing titillating” about the contestants stripping off.
The TV favorite believes it should be shown at school as a representation of what normal bodies look like.
“Parents have told me they put it on and watch it with their 16-year-old sons because they want them to see what real women look like,” she said The sun.
“We know we have a big problem with pornography. It’s time we stand up against that and violence against women, and start showing what ordinary people look like and what ordinary bodies look like.
‘That’s the great thing about the show: there’s an educational element to it. I would be in favor of showing it in schools, there is nothing exciting about Naked Attraction.
‘There is nothing pornographic or sexually arousing. It’s like opening a biology manual.’