Inside the life of Anna Richardson’s father, Canon Jim Richardson, who suffered from vascular dementia

Posted on October 3, 2024 by angelo

Inside the life of Anna Richardson’s father, Canon Jim Richardson, who suffered from vascular dementia

CANON Jim Richardson is the father of Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson.

The star opened up about her father’s vascular dementia diagnosis in her documentary Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Demention.

Anna is very close to her father — Anna is very close to her fatherCredit: Simon Webb/Channel 4

Anna wants to advocate for those who have loved ones with dementia — Anna wants to advocate for those who have loved ones with dementiaCredit: PA Media

The episode will air at 10pm on Channel 4 and will reveal details about the beloved TV presenter’s life with her father.

Here’s everything you need to know about canon Jim Richardson.

Anna’s father

Canon Jim Richardson had Anna with his wife, Janet, in 1970.

At the time, the couple lived in Great Brighton, Northamptonshire.

Learn more about Anna Richardson

Although the TV presenter is known for her scandalous shows including Naked Attraction and The Sex Education, both of her parents were very involved in religion.

Anna was part of the Let's Talk campaign with Alastair Campbell — Anna was part of the Let’s Talk campaign with Alastair CampbellCredit: PA: Press Association

Vicar’s life

Jim Richardson spent much of his life working as a vicar in Great Brighton.

He was a prominent member of his community and also worked as a canon minister at Sherborne Abbey in Dorset.

Anna, however, said she believed working so hard was partly to blame for her dementia.

She told the Express: “When Dad was working – and he dedicated his life to the Church – he was very stressed.

“He was extremely busy.

“He ate on the go.

“He never exercised.

“He was having a drink in the parish, he suffered from diabetes and he was carrying a little too much weight.

“And an awful lot of people in this country are dealing with all of these things right now, all of which contributed to Dad’s vascular dementia.”

Anna has presented some of the country's favorite TV shows — Anna has presented some of the country’s favorite TV showsCredit: Getty Images

Jim’s dementia diagnosis

Jim was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2018, which causes patients to have “mini strokes.”

These strokes cause cognitive decline, which can lead to confusion and memory loss.

Jim now lives alone in sheltered accommodation, but remains close to his family in Staffordshire.

Anna spoke of her father, saying, “When I die, I will go to the company of the angels.”

She added that making the film brought her closer to her father.

Is it aging or dementia?

Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s disease – develops slowly over time.

As the disease progresses, symptoms may worsen.

But at first, symptoms may be subtle or confused with normal memory problems related to aging.

The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in older adults and dementia.

You can refer to it above.

For example, it is normal for an aging person to occasionally forget which word to use, but difficulty having a conversation would be more indicative of dementia.

Katie Puckering, head of the information services team at Alzheimer’s Research UK, previously told The Sun: “As humans we put our car keys in an unusual place quite often and we need more time to find them.

“As you get older, it takes you longer to remember, or you have to really think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Should I have let the dog out? And then you find the keys near the back door.

“This process of retrieving information is just a little slower in people as they get older.

“In dementia, a person may not be able to remember this information and what they did when they entered the house.

“What could also happen is they could put him in a place where he really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.