Fiona Phillips husband shares 'daily torment' as Alzheimer's takes grip

Daily Record

9 hours ago

Fiona Phillips was tragically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2022 and now her husband Martin Frizell has opened up about her their daily struggles as the condition has taken over both their lives.
Fiona Phillips husband Martin Frizzell has remained steadily by her side following her Alzheimer's diagnosis. The former This Morning producer, who has been married to Fiona for 28 years, opened up on the heartbreaking reality of her health decline.
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Fiona was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2022 but didn't publicly share her diagnosis until 2023. Both of her parents and her uncle also had the brain disease, which still stands as the most common form of dementia across the UK.
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It has remained the nation's primary cause of death for a decade, making it a deeply personal pain for Martin as he witnesses his wife of nearly three decades battling the condition.
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"I used to say good days and bad days, now I just say bad days or wretched days, I think wretched is a great word for it," he revealed during a recent BBC Newsnight interview, as reported by the Mirror.
He also shared how the illness has impacted his wife, as he continued: "In the cab ride, 35 minutes, she asked me 72 times, where are we going?'"
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It comes following a recent interview when Martin gave an update on Fiona's health, in a heartbreaking revelation that she often doesn't recognise him as her husband. He admitted that she once believed she was being kidnapped, unaware of who he was.
The former TV star has been opening up about his wife's condition prior to the release of their upcoming joint autobiography, Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer's.
Speaking to Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary on This Morning, he revealed: "In the book there's a photo of her looking great and smiling but what you don't know is she thought I kidnapped her."
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Candidly discussing the heartbreaking nature of the illness, Martin explained Fiona often asks to 'go home' to her mum and dad, heartbreakingly unaware they have passed away.
"She does recognise me most of the time - she doesn't quite know I'm her husband - but she knows who I am. Every now and then she'll want to go home to her parents and I haven't the heart to say 'they aren't here'," Martin explained.
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Fiona, 64, originally believed she was experiencing menopausal changes when she began suffering from "brain fog and anxiety". The mum-of-two later received the same tragic diagnosis of both her own parents, having previously cared for them herself.
Martin, who presented This Morning for a decade, quit his role in February to look after Fiona. In extracts from their book featured in the Daily Mail, he described his wife's current needs.
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"It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help," Martin stated. "She needs help showering and brushing her teeth. She can do these things physically, but is unable now to think about how she should do them...
"I wash Fiona's hair because she wouldn't know what shampoo or conditioner to use or how wet her hair needs to be or that she must rinse the soap suds out afterwards. And most nights I'll say, 'Right, we need to brush our teeth before we go to bed,' and I'll put the toothpaste on the brush and hand it to her."
While Fiona is capable of dressing herself, Martin pointed out that she doesn't always get it "correctly" and may wear items inside out. He also shared that she grows attached to certain clothes, preferring to wear them repeatedly.