Fiona Phillips’ husband, Martin Frizell, has opened up about the devastating decline of the former GMTV star as her battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s continues to take its toll.
Fiona, now 64, was diagnosed in 2022, and Martin revealed in their memoir Remember When that she no longer recognised their eldest son, Nat, 24. Sharing the book’s success on Instagram—where it remains in the Sunday Times Bestsellers List—Martin included an old photograph of Fiona in her vibrant years, writing that she wanted to thank readers for “lifting her mood” during such a difficult time.
“She’s got bad depression because she wants to work, but she’s not well enough,” Martin told This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary. He admitted the memoir began as “a few paragraphs” but turned into 24,000 words, driven by his frustration that Alzheimer’s remains the UK’s biggest killer yet still receives little attention.
“This is a bubbly, smart, fearless woman, a very modern woman—and suddenly it all just stops. I get very angry because no one talks about it. We become invisible with Alzheimer’s,” he said, his voice breaking.
Martin also revealed Fiona suffers from anxiety and secondary health issues that cause her severe pain, compounding her confusion. Yet despite the heartbreak, he continues to honour her legacy, sharing old memories and songs they once loved, hoping to remind the world of the woman who once lit up British television screens.
