Latest news with #MartinFrizell
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Fiona Phillips' husband says 'she was in such a state' after heartbreaking question
Fiona Phillips' husband, Martin Frizell, has shared a heartbreaking update on the former GMTV star's ongoing battle with Alzheimer's disease, three years after her diagnosis The husband of former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips has provided a heart-breaking update on the star's continuing fight against Alzheimer's disease. It emerged in 2022 that the broadcaster had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Since the revelation, her husband Martin Frizell has been vocal in his support and campaigns to raise awareness of his wife's condition. Speaking to Bella magazine, Martin recounted a devastating incident when Fiona mistook their son for a stranger upon his return from military service. He said: "She became terribly distressed. 'Who's that man in the kitchen?' she asked. 'That's Nat,' I said gently. 'Our son. He's home for the weekend.'" Martin continued: "She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question." The pair first crossed paths during the 1990s while both were employed at GMTV, with the couple becoming engaged just four weeks after they met. Following their whirlwind start, they married in 1997 and subsequently welcomed two sons, Mackenzie and Nathaniel. Despite their careers taking similar trajectories, Martin chose to leave his position at This Morning in February to dedicate more time to caring for his wife at home. The NHS states that Alzheimer's disease is currently the leading cause of dementia in the UK and is "associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning," impacting "memory, thinking skills, and other mental abilities." While it remains unclear exactly why certain individuals develop the condition, experts believe that "increasing age, a family history of the condition, untreated depression, lifestyle factors, and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease" can all heighten someone's risk of developing Alzheimer's. In the period leading up to her diagnosis three years ago, Fiona had been a devoted advocate for raising awareness of the illness, following her parents' and uncle's dementia diagnoses in earlier years. She has served as an Alzheimer's Society Ambassador since 2007 and has backed campaigns while also contributing to two television programmes: Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's and Me and My Family and Alzheimer's. Earlier this month, the former broadcaster published a new autobiography, Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer's, which sheds light on her challenging struggle with the disease.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Remember When by Fiona Phillips review – an unsparing insight into early-onset Alzheimer's
In 2019, the TV presenter and journalist Fiona Phillips booked a last-minute trip to Vietnam with a friend. Nothing unusual there, you might think. But not only did Phillips not invite her husband or children, she didn't consult them, instead simply informing them that she was leaving the following week. It was an impulsive decision that she hoped would lift her out of a depressive episode that was manifesting in brain fog and anxiety. But for her husband, TV editor Martin Frizell, it was another instance of Phillips behaving oddly, a sign that things 'were not all they should be'. Remember When chronicles, with illuminating candour, the changes that culminated in Phillips's diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's in 2022, at the age of 61. Billed as a memoir by Phillips herself, owing to her decline during the three-year writing process, it's really a co-production between her, her ghostwriter Alison Phillips (no relation) and Frizell, who provides fitful interjections. As such, it offers a rare account of the impact of Alzheimer's not just from the person who has it, but from their primary carer too. Frizell initially attributed his wife's symptoms to the menopause, which can also present as low mood and memory loss. Both wondered if she had long Covid, having been infected with the virus during the first lockdown. It's a reflection of the insidiousness of Alzheimer's that neither of them managed to join the dots until comparatively late, even though Phillips's mother and father had developed the disease in their 50s and 60s respectively. She had even made documentaries about her parents' decline, and was an ambassador for Alzheimer's charities. Yet, as this book makes clear, the memory loss that is intrinsic to Alzheimer's makes it unfathomable to the sufferer. How can you pinpoint what is going wrong with your brain when the main symptom is confusion? Among the early signs, Phillips reflects, was a feeling of flatness. She recalls going for a walk on Clapham Common in early summer 2018 and looking at other Londoners enjoying the weather. 'It was like looking through a double-glazed window on to another world of which I had no part. It was a strange sense of disconnection. Of seeing others laughing, enjoying the moment, while increasingly I felt, well, nothing. Just flat.' At this point in the book, Phillips presses pause on the story of her illness to trace her early years growing up in Canterbury and, later, Southampton. Along with her childhood, we get a whistle-stop tour of her career in journalism: after starting out in local radio, she began working for Sky News and later got a job reporting for GMTV from Los Angeles. On her return to the UK in 1997, she succeeded Anthea Turner as co-host alongside Eamonn Holmes, interviewing prime ministers and Hollywood stars. The intention of this determinedly breezy segment is clear: to let us know the fearless and successful person Phillips had been before Alzheimer's did its worst. Yet it is also revealing about the impossible juggle of fronting Britain's leading TV breakfast show and raising a young family, while caring for her parents through their own diagnoses. Her devastation at watching them disappear before her eyes is mirrored in Frizell as he observes his wife's incremental withdrawal from the world. This sadness erupts into anger when he states: 'I wish Fiona had contracted cancer … It's a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance at a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway, and an array of support and care packages.' As it is, following diagnosis, the Alzheimer's sufferer and their family are largely 'left to their own devices. There is nothing more that can be done and you are left to cope alone.' By the end of Remember When, Frizell's is the dominant voice, since Phillips no longer has the capacity to articulate her experience. Early in the book she says she doesn't want to become an object of pity, or for her story to be viewed as a tragedy. But there can be no happy ending here, no endnote of hope. Capturing the loneliness and sense of loss that occurs when a loved one is alive but no longer fully present, Frizell simply says: 'I miss her. I miss my wife.' Remember When by Fiona Phillips is published by Macmillan (£22). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The 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 4 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 4 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 donanemab, that slows mental decline by up to 60 per cent has been approved in the United States. A UK decision on whether the drug will become available to patients in the UK with early symptoms is expected imminently. A blood test that detects Alzheimer's up to 15 years before symptoms emerge is set to be made free on the NHS within a year. The new test is cheaper, easier and at least as accurate as the current diagnosis options and works by measuring levels of a protein in the blood called p-tau217. Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind test that could predict dementia up to nine years before a diagnosis, with 80 per cent accuracy. It involves analysing network of connections in the brain when it's in "idle mode" to look for very early signs of the condition. Scientists have also put AI to the test, developing machine learning models were able to spot early warning signs of the memory-robbing condition up to seven years before Alzheimer's symptoms appear. A woman who has evaded Alzheimer's disease despite half her relatives getting it could hold the clues to how to prevent it, with scientists pinpointing a particular gene which they think could help prevent Alzheimer's from progressing.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fiona Phillips issues rare video message after Alzheimer's diagnosis
Fiona Phillips has appeared in a rare video message, thanking readers for their support of her Alzheimer 's memoir, posted to her husband Martin Frizell's Instagram account on Friday (18 July). The TV presenter was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2022 and went public in 2023 to raise awareness and tackle stigma surrounding the disease. Phillips, who married the former editor of This Morning in 1997, has documented her experiences in a new book titled Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, written with the help of Frizell and journalist Alison Phillips.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Fiona Phillips' husband reveals they were living ‘separate lives' before Alzheimer's diagnosis
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell has revealed they were living 'separate lives' before her Alzheimer's diagnosis. The former GMTV host, 64, announced in 2023 that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, after initially mistaking her 'brain fog and anxiety' for menopause symptoms. In her new memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Frizell, 66, has shared how the couple struggled and grew apart in the years leading up to her diagnosis. 'Nothing I could say seemed to help,' he said of the tough period, which began around 2015, according to an extract obtained by the Daily Mail. '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.' Frizell recalled experiencing 'long silences' with his wife of 28 years when they were at home in the evenings - but didn't think it was a symptom of the menopause or Azheimer'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,' he admitted. Since the diagnosis, Frizell has taken on complete responsibility for the household, from paying bills to chores, which he said he used to 'take for granted.' To help alleviate some of the pressure from himself and their 23-year-old son MacKenzie, he hired a trained carer. Recently, Frizell recalled how Phillips thought he had kidnapped her because of 'delusions' brought on by the disease. In November 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as editor of ITV's This Morning in order to support his wife, after more than a decade of service. At the time, he wrote: 'Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change, so I need to free up time for them.' As of January 2025, he helps Phillips 'brush her teeth and shower', dress herself, eat and drink. On difficult days where his wife has experienced moments of 'extreme confusion', he shared that she has demanded to see her late parents. Phillips, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's aged 74 in 2006, previously shared her concerns about how people will 'perceive' her. 'There is still an issue with this disease that the public thinks of old people, bending over a stick, talking to themselves,' she told The Mirror. 'But I'm still here, getting out and about, meeting friends for coffee, going for dinner with Martin, and walking every day.'
