Jackie Stewart provides update on wife

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Appearing on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart, 83, joined ITV presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls to discuss the charity he set up in light of his wife’s diagnosis, Race Against Dementia. Updating fans on Helen’s condition, he revealed his wife can sadly “no longer walk”.

After referencing Sex Pistols star John Lydon’s interview on Monday, in which he had noted the need to “be in the moment” while taking care of his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife, Nora, Ed and Susanna were keen to hear about Jackie’s wife.

“How is Lady Helen?” Ed asked, to which Jackie explained she was “wonderful” but he also had heartbreaking news.

“She’s wonderful, of course, she can no longer walk, sadly,” he responded.

“And now if I have a chat with her as I do a lot, obviously, very quickly the last conversation disappears.”

The sporting legend continued: “So memory is one of the things that recognises dyslexia.

“Helen was identified about seven years ago, but it’s now pretty bad, and she has a birthday actually, coming up this weekend on Saturday.

“She doesn’t want to hear this, but she is, I think, going to be 82.”

Ed and Susanna smiled as the three-time world champion went on to describe Helen as still being “fanastically attractive”.

“She’s always been a great looker,” he added lovingly.

“And that point John [Lydon] was saying, you can’t talk easily about what we did an hour ago and you can’t talk about what you’ll do in an hour. It all has to be about being there in that moment,” Ed remarked.

“And giving her a good time,” Jackie replied. “We are very lucky.

“I am very, very fortunate because of my racing career, I can afford to have seven neuro nurses looking after Helen.

“Two at a time, because it’s 24 hours a day, but few people can afford that, and really, dementia is now the biggest killer in the world, even more than cancer.

“There’s more people dying of dementia than cancer and the latest statistic is one in three people are going to die of dementia and yet there is no cure.”

Fans quickly took to social media to express their sympathy with the racing icon.

Twitter user @mrsjbutler wrote: “Love him and his charity @racingdementia well worth following.”

@TopgearWayne penned: “You’re a great person Jackie for what you’re doing for your wife but like you say not a lot of people can afford it this is why the NHS is important to those that can’t afford the service that they need help with NHS, Happy birthday to your wife.” (sic)

@lindyloo2914 added: “Looking after someone with dementia can be so difficult.”

“Great to see Sir Jackie Stewart on #GMB fighting for #Dementia,” @Arenig12 commented.

@MartinKelly88 wrote: “He was one of my earliest sporting heroes. His personal resilience is astonishing having lost so many friends when F1 was so deadly dangerous. The tragedy of dementia striking Lady Helen is harrowing.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.

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