Joe Wicks has expressed fears that his parents could develop dementia. This comes after the illness tragically impacted his family through the loss of his grandmother.
Joe, 39, is a keen fitness fanatic and believes that exercise can help us look after our bodies, both physically and mentally. He became a household name during the coronavirus pandemic with his easy-to-follow exercise videos,
The star, who will be appearing on Dragons' Den as a guest judge this week, has joined up with Alzheimer's UK to promote the charity's Think Brain Health campaign. It aims to teach people that what is good for your heart - such as exercise - is also good for your brain.
His concerns stem from his maternal grandmother, Carmella, being diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's at the age of 79 in 2012. Joe described the ordeal as being "really tough", recalling watching his mum, Raquela, struggle with her own mother's condition.
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Rob Browne, Reach)Born in Naples, Carmella moved to England in her twenties. She was living in a care home during the pandemic when her condition began to worsen.
"It was really difficult just seeing how she lost her memory – it was so quick – and then she'd have moments where [my mum] would be brushing her hair, and she'd remember something," Joe shared with The Telegraph. Carmella passed away in 2022, aged 89, reports Surrey Live.
Joe's worries about dementia have been further fuelled by a close friend currently dealing with their own mother's battle with the disease, sparking concerns for his parents, Raquela and Gary.
He revealed: "I do have a fear that my mum and dad might get Alzheimer's or dementia. Because it's like they're alive, but you're losing them. It's like a long grieving process."
Line of Duty star Vicky McClure started Our Dementia Choir after her grandmother died in 2015. She says more needs to be done by the Government to combat dementia, which is thought to affect one in every two of us, if nothing is done to slow it down.
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Joe Wicks)Would Joe, who was awarded an MBE for his services to fitness and charity, consider joining forces with politicians to combat dementia? He says he won't rule anything out, and would consider becoming health minister down the line, but wonders if the role would be too tough.
He expressed concern: "My only fear is that you go down that path and nothing changes. And you might be disheartened."
Joe will tonight be joining multimillionaire investors Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman on the Dragons' Den panel. The series sees people pitching for investment from the panel of dragons.
Dragons' Den airs on BBC One at 8pm.
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