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Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell reveals they were 'barely talking' and 'living separate lives' before her heartbreaking Alzheimer's diagnosis
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell has opened up about the toll his wife's Alzheimer's took on their marriage, revealing they were 'living separate lives' before her devastating diagnosis. The former GMTV host, 64, was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder in 2022, aged just 61. Now, in her candid new memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, published on Thursday, Martin, 66, shared how the couple struggled in the years leading up to her diagnosis. Speaking about the difficult period that began around 2015, Martin recalled: 'Nothing I could say seemed to help. He continued: 'And I guess like in any relationship, the whole thing spirals. Because I felt she was being moody and critical of everything I said and did, I shut down too. 'We were barely talking and while we were still in the same house we were living quite separate lives. 'If we were both at home in the evenings, there would be long silences. After years of being able to chat about anything and everything, we'd run out of things to talk about. 'The long silences can't have been enjoyable for her either, but that was where we had got to.' Martin admitted he never suspected the early signs of Alzheimer's, saying: 'I didn't think for one moment that it was the menopause or, perish the thought, Alzheimer's. 'I just thought we had hit the wall that so many marriages do as the kids get older – ours were now well into their teens – and maybe as a couple we had just run our course.' Earlier this month, the Mail published exclusive extracts from Fiona's memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's. In the memoir, the pair - who wed in 1997 and share two children - revealed their marriage was 'falling apart' as a result of Fiona's then undiagnosed battle with the disease. Fiona explained: 'My marriage was coming under increasing strain. 'I'm sure the disease was at least partly responsible, but at the time neither of us could see it. I just became more and more disconnected from Martin and the boys. '"You've totally zoned out of our family and our marriage," he would say to me. "Don't be so bloody ridiculous!" I'd yell back. 'But, if I'm honest, I think he was right. I just didn't seem to have the energy for any of it any more. 'I didn't realise quite how seriously Martin felt about it all until one evening he announced he was moving out. '"Stop being so ridiculous!'" I yelled. "I'm just worn out. I'm tired – of everything." '"That's what you've been saying for years,'" he replied. "Maybe this – our marriage – is what's making you so tired."' Fiona first met Martin when she was working on GMTV as a presenter and he was its chief correspondent. He later popped the question after they had been dating for just four weeks, before they went to Las Vegas to tie the knot in 1997. Last year, he revealed he was stepping down as editor of ITV's This Morning after 10 years in charge, in order to be 'around much more' for his wife during her Alzheimer's battle. Having turned his back on his prolific job, in his own candid words, Martin revealed Fiona now needs 'a lot of help', with his care extending to showering Fiona, brushing her teeth, dressing her and ultimately 'making her feel as safe as possible'. He explained: 'It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help. 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... 'She is still very stubborn and doesn't like brushing her teeth or feeling that she is being told what to do, so she rails against it.' He detailed how he knows he cannot fight her protestations for fear of illness, saying: 'But this has to be the way, because the worst thing that could happen would be for her to get some kind of tooth infection when she is vulnerable.' While Fiona can put her clothes on, she does not do so correctly, meaning Martin must also assist with this task, among others. He writes: 'She can put clothes on, but may not put them on the right way around, so she does need help dressing.... 'I try to lay out clothes for her to put on in the morning, but she tends to get attached to particular items of clothing and will wear them over and over again.' Martin confessed in the memoir that he 'wishes' Fiona had been diagnosed with cancer rather than Alzheimer's. Detailing his thoughts on Fiona's diagnosis, he admitted: 'Being brutally honest, I wish Fiona had contracted cancer instead. 'It's a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance of a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway and an array of support and care packages. But that's not there for Alzheimer's. 'Just like there are no funny or inspiring TikTok videos or fashion shoots with smiling, healthy, in-remission survivors. 'After someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they are pretty much left to their own devices. There is nothing more that can be done and you are left to cope alone. 'Bit by bit, it takes everything. Through time, even the most glamorous, glittering star – such as Fiona was – will be wiped away. 'As time has passed, I have come to understand that if I were to fall ill or worse, the whole house of cards would collapse. I have had to stay well for Fiona.' Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips, is out now. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell reveals what you shouldn't do to those with Alzheimer's as he offers advice to families battling the disease
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell has revealed what you shouldn't do to those with Alzheimer's as he offered advice to families battling the disease. Former GMTV host Fiona, 64, who is mother to Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23, was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder in 2022 at the age of just 61. The former ITV boss has shared the huge lesson he has learnt from caring for Fiona over the past few years - to never say no. In the last chapter of Fiona's upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Martin says it is better to improvise with Fiona's delusion than cause her extra distress by arguing against it. It is something he has had to learn and has been sticking to after Fiona recently became obsessed with the belief Martin was a kidnapper holding her hostage. Instead of continuously denying the thought, Martin plays along and pretends to walk her back home to her late parents - but is really just walking around the block, which he feels is the kindest way to handle the situation. Martin writes: 'The textbooks say to never argue with a dementia patient, although even without the illness you could never win an argument with Fiona, so we play along. 'Sometimes Mackenzie has to fetch her electric-blue Whistles coat – one of the very few items of clothing this once-stylish woman now insists on wearing, despite having a room full of outfits – and then Fiona and I leave the house as if I am taking her home. 'Fiona and I leave the house as if I am taking her home. We walk around the block as she loudly proclaims, "I'll never forgive you for tricking me", and passers-by stare; then we are back home again, where she goes in and greets Mackenzie as if she hasn't seen him for days. 'She has forgotten about her mum and dad and is happy to sit down.' He adds: 'It feels as though I have read a million books and online articles about how best to cope with a partner with Alzheimer's. Some of the advice I agree with – but other bits I'm not so sure about. 'I think you just have to trust your instinct and deal with whatever is thrown at you as best you can in that moment. 'By trying to live up to being the perfect Alzheimer's partner, you are just heaping even more pressure on yourself when there is already so much. And every day is different.' Martin also shared how the broadcaster became 'terribly distressed' when she could not recognise their eldest son Nat. In the last chapter of Fiona's upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Martin says it is better to improvise with Fiona's delusion than cause her extra distress by arguing against it (pictured 2008) In an extract published in The Mirror he penned: 'One weekend, Nat was home from the Army and making tea in the kitchen while Fiona and I sat watching television'. '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". She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question'. Martin said that Nat would have been 'devastated' to hear his mother being unable to recognise him, but thankfully he did not. Fiona first met Martin when she was working on GMTV as a presenter and he was its chief correspondent. He later popped the question after they had been dating for just four weeks, before they went to Las Vegas to tie the knot in 1997. Last year, he revealed he was stepping down as editor of ITV's This Morning after 10 years in charge, in order to be 'around much more' for his wife during her Alzheimer's battle. Having turned his back on his prolific job, in his own candid words, Martin revealed Fiona now needs 'a lot of help', with his care extending to showering Fiona, brushing her teeth, dressing her and ultimately 'making her feel as safe as possible'. He explained: 'It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help. 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... Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips will be published on July 17. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Fiona Phillips knew 'clock was ticking' for Alzheimer's after parents' tragic death
In 2023, TV presenter Fiona Phillips announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's the year before at the age of 61. Fiona Phillips, who is best known for hosting ITV's GMTV breakfast programme, announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2022. After suffering from brain fog and a sense of anxiety, the 64-year-old initially put her symptoms down to the menopause before receiving her diagnosis. However, the former presenter was aware that it was highly possible that she too could get the disease after both of her parents suffered from it. Her mother, Amy, developed the early onset of the condition at the age of 53. Sadly, in 2006, she died at the age of 74. Tragically, Fiona's father Phil died six years later at the age of 76 after he was diagnosed with the condition in his early 60s. During Tuesday's instalment of Lorraine, her close friend Alison Phillips detailed the heartbreaking response Fiona had after her parents died. She commented: "It's so sad, I remember seeing shortly after her father had died of Alzheimer's. Her mother had died of Alzheimer's first. "She said to me that day, 'The clock is ticking'. She thought there was an inevitability of her getting it. So, she's had that whole period of her life waiting for this. "Then, it did indeed happen. The very worst of things that could happen did happen. It's horribly unfair." In an update, Alison shared that Fiona, who was once so confident, no longer ventures outside much. She commented: "She (Fiona) travelled all over the world, lived in LA. But, her life with Alzheimer's has sort of shrunk, so that now she doesn't really like going out. That's what is so cruel about the whole thing. In the past, Fiona has spoken about the disease in her family as she told The Mirror 18 months after being diagnosed: "I just felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways. "My poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle." Over the past year, Fiona has been writing her memoir to help others going through the same ordeal feel less alone with the help of Ashley.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Fiona Phillips' husband reveals devastating moment star, 64, 'didn't recognise their son' amid her battle with Alzheimer's in latest heartbreaking health update
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell has recalled the devastating moment the TV star failed to recognise their son amid her battle with Alzheimer's. The former GMTV host, 64, who is mother to Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23, was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder in 2022 at the age of just 61. In Fiona's upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Martin shared how the broadcaster became 'terribly distressed' when she could not recognise their eldest son Nat. In an extract published in The Mirror he penned: 'One weekend, Nat was home from the Army and making tea in the kitchen while Fiona and I sat watching television'. '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". She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question'. Martin said that Nat would have been 'devastated' to hear his mother being unable to recognise him, but thankfully he did not. It comes after Martin, 66, and Fiona detailed the worrying time they feared their sons could inherit Alzheimer's. When the couple first learned of her diagnosis, they were concerned if the disease was genetic and would strike their sons. After a genetic test, Fiona and Martin were relieved to discover their boys weren't in danger of inheriting the disease. In the Mail's exclusive extract from her upcoming memoir, Martin said: 'We did tackle one fear and talked to Fiona's consultant about whether she had inherited the illness from her parents. 'She then had a genetic test, because if she carried the gene for Alzheimer's there was a danger the boys would have it, too, which in turn might mean them thinking about IVF if they wanted children, in order to break the genetic line. 'Thankfully, the test was negative.' He added: 'That meant she didn't carry the gene so the boys wouldn't either. But the doctor said she was clearly predisposed to Alzheimer's. 'I didn't entirely understand what he meant. How could someone be 'predisposed' to a particular disease if there wasn't something in their genetic make-up that determined it?'. 'But he assured me this was the case. While Fiona's chances of getting the disease had always been a lot higher, that didn't mean she would pass it on to her children. 'A few months later we told the boys what was happening. By then, she was even more withdrawn and forgetful and they knew she'd had a series of hospital appointments. 'Rather than the terrible news landing on them like a bomb, I'd gradually shared with them the sense that something was very wrong. 'When the moment came and I used the dreaded 'Alzheimer's' word, I think they were prepared for it – however awful that news was. 'They were just heartbroken for their mum, though she didn't want to make a big fuss about it all. 'She was able to dismiss it from her mind and so the conversation quickly moved on. It may sound strange, but that is how it was.' Elsewhere in the memoir, Martin gave a heartbreaking confession on his wife's condition. Martin emotionally admitted the family are 'slowing saying goodbye to the woman they love', who soon will be 'wiped away' by the disease. Martin explained how he and their sons are 'enduring a living grief' as they watch the 'glittering star' deteriorate through time. 'Bit by bit, it [Alzheimer's] takes everything. Through time, even the most glamorous, glittering star – such as Fiona was – will be wiped away', he wrote. He added: 'Sorting the bank accounts, utility direct debits, hospital appointments, clothes, washing, parking permits, shopping, cooking, tidying the house – in fact, all the stuff I took for granted because Fiona dealt with it (as well as her own career) – became my responsibilities, along with a seven-day-a-week job. 'It was knackering. There were times I felt drained, physically and emotionally. 'On top of the stress, the boys and I are enduring a kind of living grief – a slow goodbye to the woman we love.' In the memoir, the pair - who wed in 1997 and share two children - revealed their marriage was 'falling apart' as a result of Fiona's then undiagnosed battle with the disease. Fiona explained: 'My marriage was coming under increasing strain. 'I'm sure the disease was at least partly responsible, but at the time neither of us could see it. I just became more and more disconnected from Martin and the boys. '"You've totally zoned out of our family and our marriage," he would say to me. "Don't be so bloody ridiculous!" I'd yell back. 'But, if I'm honest, I think he was right. I just didn't seem to have the energy for any of it any more. 'I didn't realise quite how seriously Martin felt about it all until one evening he announced he was moving out. '"Stop being so ridiculous!'" I yelled. "I'm just worn out. I'm tired – of everything." '"That's what you've been saying for years,'" he replied. "Maybe this – our marriage – is what's making you so tired."' Fiona first met Martin when she was working on GMTV as a presenter and he was its chief correspondent. He later popped the question after they had been dating for just four weeks, before they went to Las Vegas to tie the knot in 1997. Last year, he revealed he was stepping down as editor of ITV's This Morning after 10 years in charge, in order to be 'around much more' for his wife during her Alzheimer's battle. Having turned his back on his prolific job, in his own candid words, Martin revealed Fiona now needs 'a lot of help', with his care extending to showering Fiona, brushing her teeth, dressing her and ultimately 'making her feel as safe as possible'. He explained: 'It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help. 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... Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips will be published on July 17. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Fiona Phillips' Alzheimer's battle as she thinks husband is 'kidnapping' her
Fiona Phillips has been battling early-onset Alzheimer's since her diagnosis in 2022 and her husband Martin Frizell has opened up on the devastating disease Fiona Phillips thinks she has been abducted and is being held captive, says her husband Martin Frizell. The former GMTV presenter's condition has been on the decline since her early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis in early 2022. As she gears up to publish her poignant memoir detailing the last three years, Fiona's husband of nearly three decades, Martin, aged 66, has shared that her situation is graver than many might have suspected. Martin, who previously helmed This Morning, says Fiona, now 64, lives solely "in the present" and finds it challenging to engage in conversation – once a hallmark of her sparkling television career. He reveals that Fiona's memory lapses are so severe that she cannot recall events from "30 seconds or five minutes" prior and is now under the delusion that he is detaining her while her deceased parents, both of whom suffered from Alzheimer's, are frantically searching for her. According to Martin, the most compassionate approach is to humour her beliefs, as contradicting her only leads to further distress, reports the Mirror. In his wife's forthcoming book, Remember When..., he pens: "I'd like to tell you Fiona is content in the situation into which she has been forced. But that wouldn't be the truth. She isn't – she is frustrated every single day. And depressed." He continues: "She constantly says she wants to work, but she knows deep down that she can't. She knows she cannot hold a conversation and she forgets what she wants to tell people. She will give up and crumple. She tries to fight it, but it's too hard." Martin describes her abduction anxieties as the "latest fixation, coming from her clogged-up brain". They must go to extraordinary measures to provide her with comfort - and occasionally their youngest lad Mackenzie, 23, even fetches Fiona her coat whilst Martin acts out escorting her back to her mum and dad. Her mum, Amy, actually died in 2006, whilst her dad, Neville, was diagnosed shortly afterwards and passed away in 2012. "Fiona and I leave the house as if I am taking her home," Martin explains. "We walk around the block as she loudly proclaims, 'I'll never forgive you for tricking me,' and passers-by stare; then we are back home again, where she goes in and greets Mackenzie as if she hasn't seen him for days. She has forgotten about her mum and dad and is happy to sit down." There's one thing that does transform Fiona back to her old cheerful self - listening to The Stylistics - her beloved group from her teenage years. "Every day, several times a day, she'll say, 'Hey Google, play The Stylistics,'," Martin recalls in the new book. She begins to sing, word perfect and I stroke her hair as she says, 'Please don't leave me.'" Martin refuses to gloss over the harsh reality and insists there's no respite in sight. He's noticed fewer mates staying in contact and admits the social invitations have virtually dried up. He acknowledges Fiona can't manage dinner parties or the glamorous dos they once frequented as a celebrated TV duo, yet confesses: "But sometimes it would be nice to be asked." It's an illness that's devastating the entire household. The couple, who wed in 1997, have Mackenzie, a budding fashion designer, and Nathaniel, 26, who's preparing for military service. Martin has also spoken of his heartbreak the first time Fiona didn't recognise their older lad. He continues: "Alzheimer's is the most awful disease. The boys and I are being punished by it. But Fiona is the one having to live it every single day. And it's relentless." Fiona was only 61 when doctors delivered the devastating news in early 2022, though she'd been dreading becoming the condition's next casualty for years. Both Fiona's mum and dad, along with numerous relatives, had all received the same diagnosis. Her parents were struck down in vastly different, yet equally harrowing ways. Medical experts revealed Fiona hadn't directly inherited the condition from her folks, but they had handed down genetic characteristics that left her 'predisposed', making her far more vulnerable to developing it. Due to this revelation, Fiona and Martin initially held off informing their sons following her diagnosis until they were certain the boys weren't similarly at risk. That doesn't mean it's been any easier for them to watch what they mum, the one-time vibrant and confident GMTV star, was going through. "It's tough for them. They see their mum like this and it's very upsetting," says Martin. "But what choice do we have but to keep on going?" Fiona isn't doing any interviews around her book and Martin is keen to let her words speak for themselves. In an early chapter, she movingly shares her dread that she'll lose the small daily experiences she treasures with her sons. Expressing her longing to return to her previous self, she penned: "I want to watch Chelsea beat Arsenal 3–0 at home. I want our son Nat to come home on leave from the Army and give me one of his bear-like hugs. I want our youngest son Mackenzie to bring me a cup of tea and a biscuit when we sit watching TV together. I want to be me." 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. 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