Exclusive:Janice Forsyth: BBC Radio Scotland presenter 'blown away' by response to Alzheimer's diagnosis

The acclaimed presenter, who has been a lynchpin of Scotland’s cultural life for decades, announced her diagnosis last month as she stepped down from her long-standing role at BBC Radio Scotland.

In an exclusive interview with The Scotsman, the 65 year-old said while learning she had Alzheimer’s was a “huge blow”, it also provided a “real sense of relief” in that it finally confirmed why she was experiencing difficulties with navigation and other symptoms.

Ms Forsyth worked for the BBC for more than three decades, gaining a loyal following for her work across BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Four and BBC Radio Three. She also co-founded Big Light, a successful podcast production company.

The 65 year-old said she first experienced symptoms three years ago, and attributed them to being “simply worn out” after a long career and the death of her mother, Patricia. But after sharing details of her “firm diagnosis”, she received an outpouring of praise and well wishes from veteran figures in Scottish broadcasting and further afield.

Reflecting on that reaction, Ms Forsyth said: “When you’re freelance, and always busy getting on with the next thing, you never have time to sit around thinking ‘well that was great, what I just did’. So it’s lovely, to have all this appreciation - very gratifying and very unexpected.”

In the interview, published in today’s Scotsman Magazine, Ms Forsyth said she had spent recent weeks “rediscovering” her DVD collection and listening to lot of music, which she described as “a kind of salve”.

Ms Forsyth, who interviewed the likes of David Bowie, Billy Connolly and Leonard Cohen during her time behind the microphone, said while she had no plans to return to live broadcasting, she hoped to continue working at Big Light as a producer and occasional broadcaster.

She said “humour” was vital to dealing with her situation, and that she had been “overwhelmed” by the love and appreciation shown to her. “I didn’t expect that at all, and I just feel - well, I think I’ve been very lucky,” she said. “Very lucky indeed.”