Eamonn Holmes has revealed his fears over developing dementia one day after being told a recently diagnosed hearing impairment could put him at greater risk.
The Northern Irish presenter told Best magazine if the worst does happen, he would rather travel to Switzerland and be helped to die than “lose my dignity” due to the condition.
The 58-year-old said he is comfortable confronting such issues, unlike his wife, Ruth Langsford.
“Look, Ruth doesn’t like talking about mortality, Ruth puts her fingers in her ears,” he said.
“I’m far more reconciled to these things and I say to all my children and my wife, ‘take me to Switzerland and press the red button, that is what I want’. I have no desire to lose my dignity. I just don’t want it to happen to me.”
He added: “However controversial that may sound, that’s my genuine wish.”
Eamonn said he has seen how degenerative dementia can be, after members of his own family, and Ruth’s father, were diagnosed with the disease.
He said he didn’t know if his family would ever follow through on his wish but he has expressed his thoughts on the matter to them while he is of sound mind.
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Eamonn has three grown-up children, Declan, 29, Rebecca, 26, and Niall, 24, from his first marriage and sixteen-year-old son Jack with Ruth.
He said he’s been forced to consider his own mortality after being diagnosed with a hearing problem and told it could mean he’s more likely to develop dementia than someone who doesn’t have a hearing impairment.
The former Sky host told the Telegraph he previously had no idea such a link potentially existed, which is why he’s now speaking out to raise awareness.
“Anything that flags up a health condition such as dementia has to be taken seriously. Early intervention in so many conditions can either prevent decline, or preserve better health for longer,” he said.
He told the newspaper he’s also had to get used to losing 30 percent of his hearing
“I was reassured that was nothing abnormal, but it’s a lot to cope with,” he says. “No one warns you that your hearing is going to go down from 50. People my age, we’re not ready for that. Learning a third of your hearing has gone is not the best birthday present.”
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Apart from his impaired hearing, Eamonn said he’s currently in good health and looking forward to presenting This Morning with Ruth over the summer.
The pair have been on-screen this week, with Tuesday’s episode of This Morning including an interview with Kym Marsh about her Coronation Street storyline, and a discussion on the UK’s favourite biscuit.
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