Speaking has been my living.it's frustrating when people ask me... what did you say?

Telly veteran John Stapleton: I have Parkinson's

- MARK JEFFERIES

VETERAN broadcaster John Stapleton has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and admitted that it will change his life "dramatically".

The 78-year-old has been a familiar face on TV for nearly 50 years and presented on programmes including Newsnight, Panorama and GMTV's News Hour.

He announced his health news in a video report for BBC1's Morning Live alongside his son Nick.

John's mother also had the disease.

He said: "Speaking is how I've earned my living for the best part of 50 years and it's very frustrating sometimes, particularly if people are constantly saying, 'Sorry, what did you say?" And you have to repeat yourself time and time again.

"I'm fairly pragmatic about the prospect of this getting worse. I try to remain positive, because what's the point of not being [positive]?"

CHALLENGES

In the film, Nick, 37, who is also a presenter and journalist, explored how to approach the diagnosis as a family and navigate the challenges.