Bill Ritter Shares Early Alzheimer’s Symptoms Before Diagnosis
WHO:
New York Post - Bill Ritter, veteran ABC New York news anchor, announced his retirement.
New York Post - Ritter's father died of Alzheimer’s in 1998.
WHAT:
HuffPost - Bill Ritter emphasized he is in the “early stage” of Alzheimer’s and stated, “The treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay, at least for now.”
HuffPost - Ritter mentioned, “I’m going to continue working right here at ABC7,” indicating he will help younger journalists at the station.
HuffPost - Ritter stated, “This station wants to dig deeper into the rising tide of Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases,” highlighting his future work focus.
HuffPost - Ritter began working at “Eyewitness News” in 1998, initially anchoring weekends before becoming the weekday 11 p.m. anchor in 1999 and the 6 p.m. anchor in 2001.
New York Post - Bill Ritter stated he was able to get “a decent night’s sleep … for the first time in 25 years” after his schedule was trimmed down to the 6 p.m. broadcast.
New York Post - Ritter emphasized the importance of seeking medical attention, saying, “A lot of people say, ‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it, I’m going to be fine.’ No. You gotta go do this.”
New York Post - Ritter mentioned that unless someone finds “an amazing cure, and soon,” his last newscast would be that night.
New York Post - Bill Ritter experienced symptoms of forgetting names and places two years before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
New York Post - Ritter announced he would be leaving the news desk due to his diagnosis.
New York Post - Ritter stated, “Spending more time with my family has now become even more important, because my life has taken a turn.”
New York Post - Ritter mentioned, “The treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay. For now. But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.”
WHERE:
New York Post - Ritter is a news anchor for ABC New York.
WHEN:
New York Post - Ritter shared his diagnosis and announced his retirement on a Friday.
WHY:
New York Post - Ritter sought medical attention after realizing his symptoms were not improving.
HOW:
New York Post - Ritter decided to get tested for Alzheimer’s after experiencing persistent symptoms.
(UPDATED June 16, 2026 06:51 UTC)
Bill Ritter has revealed that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, but he feels optimistic as the treatments he’s receiving are keeping the disease at bay for now. He plans to continue his work at ABC7, where he aims to support younger journalists and focus on the rising tide of Alzheimer’s and similar diseases. Ritter has been a familiar face at the station since 1998, starting as a weekend anchor before moving to the weekday 11 p.m. slot in 1999 and then taking over the 6 p.m. anchor position in 2001.
--
(UPDATED June 15, 2026 23:35 UTC)
Bill Ritter shared that he finally got “a decent night’s sleep … for the first time in 25 years” after his schedule was adjusted to focus on the 6 p.m. broadcast. He stressed the importance of seeking medical attention, urging people not to dismiss their health concerns by saying, “No. You gotta go do this.” Ritter also indicated that unless an “amazing cure” is found soon, his last newscast would take place that night.
--
(UPDATED June 15, 2026 20:17 UTC)
Bill Ritter, a veteran news anchor for ABC New York, has announced his retirement due to his recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, which he sought medical attention for after experiencing persistent symptoms. He shared that he began noticing issues with forgetting names and places two years before his diagnosis and emphasized the importance of spending more time with his family as his life has taken a turn. Ritter also noted that while the treatments he is receiving are currently keeping the disease at bay, there is no guarantee, as there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s.