The ITV presenter Ruth Langsford is joining some 2,000 people who have registered to take part in the Epsom Memory Walk this weekend for Alzheimer’s Society.

Best known for presenting ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women, Ruth Langsford is taking part in the walk, which will start and finish at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on Sunday, September 23.

The broadcaster, whose father passed away in 2012, said: “This is a cause close to my heart because I lost my dad to alzheimer’s and I know how devastating the condition is for those diagnosed and their families.

“I’m walking in loving memory of my dad, who I miss every day.”

She added: “I’m so happy to take part in the Epsom Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s Society and I encourage anyone who can to come along by signing up today.

“Memory Walk is a fun day out for the whole family, friends and community to unite against dementia and raise funds for research into a cure. “

Over 16,000 people in Surrey are living with dementia, of those 1000 people are in Epsom and Ewell.

Last year’s Surrey Memory Walk event in Cobham was attended by almost 3,000 people and raised nearly £300,000 to fund research and provide support.

Alzheimer’s Society is pledged to invest £150 million in the next decade in the search for better treatments and scientific research to find a cure.

Sue Rennie, Alzheimer’s Society operations manager for Surrey, said: “Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.

“We’re calling on people with dementia, family, friends and teams from across Surrey to unite against dementia this autumn.”