The coverage I found shows that:
1. Bill Ritter mentioned that his wife Kathleen Friery noticed his symptoms about two years ago
2. He said “We thought, ‘okay, well maybe I’m working too hard'” – but this is his description of their joint discussion, not Kathleen speaking publicly
3. Kathleen has not publicly spoken or given interviews about this
However, I have comprehensive coverage from multiple outlets (ABC News/GMA, ABC7 New York, E! Online, Yahoo, AOL, Reality Tea, and others) with direct quotes from Bill Ritter about his diagnosis announcement, symptoms, his wife noticing changes, and their discussions about it. I’ll write the article based on what’s actually been reported while being truthful about what sources say.
Just days after the WABC anchor announced he’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the 76-year-old shared additional insight into when he first started to notice symptoms about two years ago, when he realized he was forgetting people names and places.
Bill Ritter, 76, anchored the 6 p.m. newscast since 2001 at WABC-TV and announced Friday that he is stepping away from anchoring after he was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
Ritter shared that while his forgetfulness went largely unnoticed, his wife Kathleen Friery noticed the change. “We thought, ‘okay, well maybe I’m working too hard,'” he explained.
During a June 15 appearance on Good Morning America, Ritter said “I think the first was about two years ago. I realized I was forgetting people names and places. I didn’t know why that was happening.”
When they first encountered the symptoms, the couple suspected exhaustion.
“So, I scaled back,” he explained, noting that the anchor said he stopped doing the 11 o’clock and five o’clock shows in 2025, instead only doing the 6 o’clock showing.
But the change in schedule didn’t help.
“I was sleeping for the first time at night,” he said, and yet, “It wasn’t getting better and so it was at that moment, just like that, we said, ‘You know what?'”
Since announcing his diagnosis on-air during the 11 p.m. broadcast on June 12, Ritter said he has been overwhelmed by love and support.
The news came after a series of medical tests.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s. It’s early-stage Alzheimer’s, and they say 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.”
Ritter’s personal connection to the disease runs deep.
He is deeply familiar with the disease, having lost his father to Alzheimer’s in 1998.
“My first reaction was I thought about my dad, that was immediate — he just popped into my head, and then a couple of seconds later, I was scared. I don’t mind saying that it was scary.”
His thoughts quickly shifted to his family’s burden.
Ritter said his thoughts then immediately turned to his wife and his children and the impact his diagnosis would have on them. “Alzheimer’s is… a thing that gobbles up families, and they’re the real tough ones in this. My kids say, ‘Dad, you’re so brave about all this,’ and I’m not the one that’s brave. It’s my kids and my wife who are the brave ones.”
He emphasized that his family members are shouldering the weight.
“As for my family, my kids say, ‘Dad, you’re being so brave in all this,’ but no–it’s not me, it’s them who are being brave. As is my wife Kathleen.”
In the viral moment Ritter revealed on the 6 p.m. newscast on June 12, the longtime anchor addressed his future at the station directly and emotionally.
Asked what he will do now, Ritter said “Well, I’m going to continue working. Right here at ABC 7. I will continue helping the younger journalists here at Eyewitness News.”
Ritter said he would “still see me on air and online” as he remains a journalist at Eyewitness News, noting “this station wants to dig deeper into the rising tide of Alzheimer’s, and other similar diseases, including how it’s affecting patients and their families, how the price of treatment and the price of caring for patients is simply unaffordable and how this country might begin to change that.”
He said he decided to share his diagnosis live on-air to “be honest” with viewers and to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.
Major network figures and New York officials rallied around the veteran broadcaster.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Ritter’s announcement by wishing him and his family “strength in the days ahead,” writing “For decades, Bill Ritter has been a trusted presence in New Yorkers’ homes, helping us make sense of the news that shape our city.”
WABC general manager offered her own tribute.
“While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them. Bill is strong, brilliant, and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News.”
WABC-TV reporter Lucy Yang paid tribute to Ritter’s professionalism, posting on X: “For decades, I’ve reported for his show and even filled in, anchored w him. He never gave less than 110% I salute you. I thank you. And I will pray for you.”
Ritter and his wife Kathleen walked down the aisle in September 2008.
They have one biological child together, and he has two kids from his previous marriage, making them parents to three children: two daughters, Mia Ritter and Ella Ritter, and a son, Owen Ritter.
Ritter said moving forward, he plans to continue working for WABC in a new role focused on bringing people together.