Fiona Phillips’ husband, Martin Frizell, has given a heart-wrenching update on the former GMTV presenter’s battle with early onset Alzheimer’s. Fiona, 64, was diagnosed in 2022 after initially believing her symptoms were caused by menopause.
Speaking on This Morning, Martin revealed the devastating toll the disease has taken on their 28-year marriage and their family. He shared that Fiona now suffers from delusions, sometimes mistaking him for a stranger. In one particularly distressing moment, she believed Martin had kidnapped her as they were walking near their home.
“In the most recent photo I took of her, she’s smiling, looking great with her coat on. But what people don’t see is that she thought I was taking her away against her will,” Martin said. “She kept saying, ‘I want to go home,’ and sometimes she means her parents’ home – but they’re no longer alive.”
Martin also opened up about Fiona’s depression. “She wants to work, she wants to be out there – but she’s just not well enough,” he told presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary. “This is a smart, fearless woman. Now she’s in pain, confused, and suffering.”
Discussing Fiona’s memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, Martin revealed he initially planned to write a few paragraphs from his perspective, but ended up contributing over 24,000 words. He expressed frustration over the lack of public awareness: “We become invisible with Alzheimer’s. No one wants to talk about it.”
Despite the struggles, Fiona still recognises Martin – even if she sometimes forgets they are married. Martin’s candid interview serves as both a tribute to his wife and a plea for more support and attention toward those affected by the UK’s biggest killer: Alzheimer’s disease.
