Fiona Phillips’ husband, Martin Frizell, has given an update on his wife after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2022 at the age of 61, as he appeared on ITV’s Lorraine
Fiona Phillips’ husband, Martin Frizell, has given an heartbreaking update on his wife after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The former GMTV presenter was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s in early 2022 at the age of 61.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine today, Wednesday, 11 Febraury, Martin, who is the former editor of This Morning, spoke about his wife, telling viewers how he doesn’t want it to seem like she’s a “basket case”. He said: “She doesn’t remember Christmas now, she doesn’t remember New Year… I don’t want to give the impression she’s some sort of basket case. She’s very much with us.
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“She is still the world’s most stubborn women and still around the house. There’s a nice picture of her eating some chocolate; she’ll probably hate it because she thinks her hair colour should be a bit better.”
Martin also opened up about how he takes time for himself. “I used to say it’s not me that needs to be asked if I’m ok, it’s not me that has the diagnosis. I’ve gone back to broadcasting, doing stuff ourselves and podcasting,” he said on taking time for himself.
“I can free myself up for eight days in April – I haven’t been away from home for more than three days in two years. I feel guilty being here and not with her,” he said as he revealed his plans to go on a tour with his crime podcast.
Martin honestly shared that he finds simple tasks such as leaving the house difficult as Fiona’s condition sadly worsens. He said previously: “There’s no way I could drive or we could take public transport as Fiona now rarely understands where she is going or why, constantly asking what is happening, probably four or five times a minute on loop for the entire journey.
“Honestly, I got close to telling the taxi driver to turn around and take us home – Fiona’s only safe place – as the stress was unbearable. But of course that self-pity pales into insignificance compared to what Fiona was going through.”
Fiona presented GMTV between 1993 and 2008 and in her long career, fronted a number of documentaries and Panorama episodes. She was also a columnist for The Mirror.
Fiona’s diagnosis has been documented in a book, which has since had some additions as her journey continues. Martin had previously said he planned to write “a few paragraphs” but ended up writing “24,000 words”.
“I started off writing about what a great woman she is and just how horrible it is and dreadfully unlucky that she is the latest in the long line of her family to get it,” he explained
“Then I just got very angry as to what little support there is. As a family, we just kind of get through it and at some point we will need more support, but there’s just nothing really.”
In the book, Fiona – with Martin’s help – heartbreakingly wrote about her memories. She said: “Everywhere I look there are memories. I know they are there. Yet so many of them feel out of reach now.
“It’s like I reach out to touch them but then just as I am about to grasp it, the memory skips away from me. And I can’t catch up with it. Like trying to chase a £5 note on a gusty day.”
