Latest news with #Fiona
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Fiona Phillips husband shares 'daily torment' as Alzheimer's takes grip
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. 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. 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. "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?'" 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." 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. 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. "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.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Fiona Phillips makes very rare appearance amid Alzheimer's battle after husband opened up on devastating condition
FIONA Phillips has made a rare public appearance after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The popular TV star, 64, appeared in a brief Instagram video shared by her husband Martin Frizell, 66, to thank fans for reading their new book, Remember When. 4 Fiona Phillips thanks fans for reading her new book Credit: instagram/@martinfrizell1 4 She is rarely seen in public after her Alzheimer's diagnosis Credit: instagram/@martinfrizell1 Looking in good spirits as she ate an ice cream in a London park, Fiona said: "Hello, thank you for reading my book. It's really good of you. Hope you like it. OK. Bye." Davina McCall commented: "Oh Fiona!!! So great to see your face ! We've missed you !e and Michael and sending you huge love !!!" Anna Williamson said: "Sending Fiona so much love. She really looked out for me in my GMTV days, my telly mum and I will never forget how she comforted me when I was going through a tough time in my relationship." Norfolk to do my first interview after I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2008. More than just a colleague… A truly kind, talented and beautiful person!" READ MORE ON FIONA PHILLIPS Fiona was In her new book, Martin heartbreakingly He told how Fiona became distressed when she asked 'who the man was in the kitchen'. In an extract published in Most read in Celebrity He added: "She became terribly distressed. 'Who's that man in the kitchen?' she asked me. 'That's Nat', I said gently. 'Our son. He's home for the weekend'." Martin went on: "She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question." Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell gives devastating update on her Alzheimer's battle as he appears on This Morning He then said that Nat would have been "devastated" to hear his mother was unable to recognise him. Last week, former This Morning editor Martin returned to the show to discuss the book, but He told hosts Angry over the lack of coverage given to the condition, which is the biggest killer in the UK, Martin's initial plan to write a few paragraphs soon became 24,000 words. He said: " "I just get very angry no one talks about it. We become invisible with Alzheimer's, no one wants to talk about it." Opening up about Fiona's current condition, Martin said: "She's got anxiety, she's got a secondary problem that causes her to be in a lot of pain, which adds to the confusion." Tragically, he told how Fiona thought he had kidnapped her just weeks ago as they posed for a photograph outside he family home. Martin said she suffers from delusions, though does still recognise him, even if she isn't aware of their marital status. n a candid moment of self-reflection, Martin admitted he wasn't Mother Teresa and was He accepted some of his work is provocative as he said: "I wish she got cancer, at least there would have been some hope. It's not a sexy disease, the pictures aren't great, on your deathbed you look bloody awful." Fiona, whose late mum and dad both had Alzheimer's, left GMTV in December 2008 to spend more time with her family. She took on small jobs such as a stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 and presenting a Channel 4 documentary titled Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's And Me in 2009. But She was also starting to struggle with mood swings, erratic behaviour and an inability to complete everyday tasks, such as going to the bank. Things came to a head with Martin in 2021 and he moved out of the family home, accusing her of 'zoning out' of their marriage. After three weeks apart, the couple met at a hotel and agreed they wanted to stay together — but that things had to change. Fiona had initially suspected the But by then, Fiona was wondering if her symptoms were down to menopause. Martin urged her to talk to telly doctor Dr Louise Newson, who specialised in the menopause and recommended a course of hormone replacement therapy. But after several months of seeing little change, Dr Newson recommended she be properly assessed. In 2022, a consultant broke the heartbreaking news to the couple that Fiona, then 61, had early onset Alzheimer's. 4 Fiona Phillips was distressed after she failed to recognise her own son Credit: Getty 4 Martin write about his wife's Alzheimer's battle in her new book Credit: Getty Other major Alzheimer's breakthroughs While experts have warned that dementia diagnoses in England have reached record numbers, there have been a number of recent advances against brain robbing diseases. From "game-changing" drugs gaining approval to blood tests that can spot the condition years before symptoms, here are other major Alzheimer's breakthroughs. A "game-changing" Alzheimer's drug called A blood test that detects Alzheimer's up to 15 years before symptoms emerge is set to be made Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind test that could predict dementia Scientists have also put AI to the test, developing machine learning models were able to spot early warning signs of the memory-robbing condition A woman who has evaded Alzheimer's disease despite half her relatives getting it could
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Fiona Phillips makes very rare appearance amid Alzheimer's battle after husband opened up on devastating condition
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FIONA Phillips has made a rare public appearance after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The popular TV star, 64, appeared in a brief Instagram video shared by her husband Martin Frizell, 66, to thank fans for reading their new book, Remember When. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Fiona Phillips thanks fans for reading her new book Credit: instagram/@martinfrizell1 4 She is rarely seen in public after her Alzheimer's diagnosis Credit: instagram/@martinfrizell1 Looking in good spirits as she ate an ice cream in a London park, Fiona said: "Hello, thank you for reading my book. It's really good of you. Hope you like it. OK. Bye." Davina McCall commented: "Oh Fiona!!! So great to see your face ! We've missed you !e and Michael and sending you huge love !!!" Anna Williamson said: "Sending Fiona so much love. She really looked out for me in my GMTV days, my telly mum and I will never forget how she comforted me when I was going through a tough time in my relationship." Trisha Goddard wrote: "Sending you lots of love, Fiona. You were so kind to me when you came up to my house in Norfolk to do my first interview after I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2008. More than just a colleague… A truly kind, talented and beautiful person!" Fiona was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in 2022 and her condition has deteriorated since. In her new book, Martin heartbreakingly reveals how she failed to recognise her eldest son Nat, 24. He told how Fiona became distressed when she asked 'who the man was in the kitchen'. In an extract published in The Mirror, Martin wrote: "One weekend, Nat was home from the Army and making tea in the kitchen while Fiona and I sat watching television." He added: "She became terribly distressed. 'Who's that man in the kitchen?' she asked me. 'That's Nat', I said gently. 'Our son. He's home for the weekend'." Martin went on: "She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question." Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell gives devastating update on her Alzheimer's battle as he appears on This Morning He then said that Nat would have been "devastated" to hear his mother was unable to recognise him. Last week, former This Morning editor Martin returned to the show to discuss the book, but Fiona wasn't well enough to join him. He told hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary: "She's got bad depression because she wants to work, she's not well enough today to come and talk to you." Angry over the lack of coverage given to the condition, which is the biggest killer in the UK, Martin's initial plan to write a few paragraphs soon became 24,000 words. He said: "It started off when we knew it was Alzheimer's. It was to give her a purpose, to give her something to do. This is a bubbly smart, fearless woman, very modern woman and all of a sudden it stops. "I just get very angry no one talks about it. We become invisible with Alzheimer's, no one wants to talk about it." Opening up about Fiona's current condition, Martin said: "She's got anxiety, she's got a secondary problem that causes her to be in a lot of pain, which adds to the confusion." Tragically, he told how Fiona thought he had kidnapped her just weeks ago as they posed for a photograph outside he family home. Martin said she suffers from delusions, though does still recognise him, even if she isn't aware of their marital status. n a candid moment of self-reflection, Martin admitted he wasn't Mother Teresa and was prone to getting frustrated, which sometimes leads to arguments. He accepted some of his work is provocative as he said: "I wish she got cancer, at least there would have been some hope. It's not a sexy disease, the pictures aren't great, on your deathbed you look bloody awful." Fiona, whose late mum and dad both had Alzheimer's, left GMTV in December 2008 to spend more time with her family. She took on small jobs such as a stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 and presenting a Channel 4 documentary titled Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's And Me in 2009. But Fiona admitted she never felt 'completely right' and became 'disconnected' from her family. She was also starting to struggle with mood swings, erratic behaviour and an inability to complete everyday tasks, such as going to the bank. Things came to a head with Martin in 2021 and he moved out of the family home, accusing her of 'zoning out' of their marriage. After three weeks apart, the couple met at a hotel and agreed they wanted to stay together — but that things had to change. Fiona had initially suspected the exhaustion, anxiety and brain fog she had been battling was a side-effect of Long Covid. She contracted the virus in 2020. But by then, Fiona was wondering if her symptoms were down to menopause. Martin urged her to talk to telly doctor Dr Louise Newson, who specialised in the menopause and recommended a course of hormone replacement therapy. But after several months of seeing little change, Dr Newson recommended she be properly assessed. In 2022, a consultant broke the heartbreaking news to the couple that Fiona, then 61, had early onset Alzheimer's. 4 Fiona Phillips was distressed after she failed to recognise her own son Credit: Getty 4 Martin write about his wife's Alzheimer's battle in her new book Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Fiona Phillips' daily torment in her husband's words as Alzheimer's takes hold
The much-loved broadcaster and her TV producer husband have written a book about her life in the public eye and what it's like to live with early-onset Alzheimer's disease - and it includes an agonising admission When TV presenter Fiona Phillips was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2022, her husband Martin Frizzell stuck by their vows of in sickness and in health. But the former This Morning producer, who has been married to Fiona for 28 years, has revealed how living with the brain degenerative condition is becoming more and more painful. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK, which causes an ongoing decline of brain functioning including memory, thinking skills and other abilities. The progressive, life-limiting condition has been the UK's leading cause of death for the last ten years and it's a cause very close to Martin's heart after watching his wife suffer with the condition. "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 told BBC Newsnight in a recent interview. And he also disclosed how the condition has affected his wife. "In the cab ride, 35 minutes, she asked me 72 times, where are we going?'" And in another interview he agonisingly admitted hat while she does recognise him, she sometimes doesn't understand that he is her husband and once thought he was kidnapping her. Martin has been speaking candidly about his wife's vulnerability ahead of the publication of the couple's joint memoir titled Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer's. Speaking to Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary on This Morning, he said: "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." Explaining the cruel reality of the disease, Martin shared that Fiona will sometimes plead to 'go home' to her parents, not understanding that they are no longer here. "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'. Former Mirror columnist Fiona, 64, initially thought she was having menopause symptoms when she first started experiencing "brain fog and anxiety". The mum-of-two went onto be diagnosed with the same devastating condition her parents suffered from, with the star caring for them both. Martin, who spent ten years at the helm of ITV This Morning, stepped down from his position in February to care for Fiona. In excerpts from their heartbreaking memoir published in the Daily Mail, he told of his wife's daily routine. "It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help," said Martin. "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." Martin and Fiona married in 1997 and went onto have sons Nat and Mackenzie. With her Alzheimer's disease progressing, Martin heartbreakingly shared that his wife sometimes forgets they are married, while Fiona told how she much she was struggling to accept the diagnosis in the beginning. Martin explained that while Fiona can dress herself, she doesn't do it "correctly" and sometimes puts things on the wrong way round. He also revealed his wife becomes very fond of one piece of clothing and will want to wear it "over and over again." Fiona is best known for presenting ITV breakfast programme GMTV Today. but began her career in local radio and was also a Daily Mirror columnist and Loose Women panellist.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Dying mum's last wish to donate toys for Glasgow refugee children fulfilled
"It can be so scary for a tiny kid with no possessions, and it always touched her heart. She always just wanted to make sure kids had something to cuddle." A dying woman's last wish to donate toys to refugee children in Glasgow has been fulfilled. Fiona White is donating boxes of Jellycats, teddy bears, and handmade toys to Glasgow's Refuweegee, to complete one of her mum Catherine Murray's final wishes before she died in November last year aged 90. Catherine made clear in her final moments it was important to make sure refugee children had toys to brighten up their day with. Fiona told Glasgow Live: "She wrote poems all the time and was a prolific writer. She loved children, and she loved writing things for children. "When she got hold of a new toy, she would give it a name and then she would write a poem about it and then take a photo. Once she got enough of them all gathered, she would make them into a little book for kids, which she called 'My Pals'. "Then she used to go to the local printer and get them made and bound, and then she would give them away to kids. She'd be out and about and always had a copy with her. Any time she saw a kid, she'd give them a book. "She was an amazing character and everybody just loved her." Catherine, who was more commonly known as Kay, lived in Largs for years before spending three months living at the Ailsa Craig Nursing Home in Cessnock. There, Fiona says the "fantastic" staff described her as a "superstar". Sadly, Catherine's stay at the home only lasted three months before she passed. Catherine was adamant the toys had to be given to refugee children - something always close to her heart. "She had a great life, my mum, she was very sparky up until the last wee while when she went downhill quite quickly with dementia," Fiona added. "She would always have one of these dolls with her, she was always holding on to them. "She used to always say to me 'Fiona, when you're not here, please make sure these get given to refugee children'. She was very specific about that. "My mum always thought about other people before herself and always thought about kids. It was heartbreaking for her to see kids on boats coming into the country and being herded about. "It can be so scary for a tiny kid with no possessions, and it always touched her heart. She always just wanted to make sure kids had something to cuddle." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Fiona believes her mum would be "delighted" to see the toys end up in the hands of refugee children, and plans to drop them off very soon.
