Fiona Phillips’ husband shares heartbreaking update on TV star's Alzheimer’s battle
11 February 2026, 16:54
Martin Frizell shared a new photo of his wife Fiona Phillips as he opened up about her worsening condition.
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Fiona Phillips’ husband has shared a heartbreaking update on his TV star wife's brutal Alzheimer’s battle.
The former GMTV presenter, 65, was diagnosed with the devastating disease back in 2022, with doctors confirming she had early-onset Alzheimer’s.
She's been spending time away from the limelight in recent years as she and her family deal with her worsening condition.
Now, her spouse Martin Frizell, 67, has opened up about her current state in an emotional new interview, sharing a recent snap of Fiona with the world.
Talking to Lorraine about the agonising symptoms she's been experiencing, he explained: "She doesn’t remember Christmas now, she doesn’t remember New Year."
Despite the horrible side effects, he reassured the daytime host that she remained true to herself in many ways.
He continued: "I don’t want to give the impression she’s some sort of basket case. She’s very much with us.
"She is still the world’s most stubborn woman and still around the house."
Moments into his candid conversation on ITV, he shared a picture of Fiona relaxing at home, sharing more about her health journey.
Martin joked: "There’s a nice picture of her eating some chocolate; she’ll probably hate it because she thinks her hair colour should be a bit better."
Speaking in more detail about the heart-wrenching impact Alzheimer's is having on the retired journalist, he added: "There’s no way I could drive or we could take public transport as Fiona now rarely understands where she is going or why, constantly asking what is happening, probably four or five times a minute on loop for the entire journey.
"Honestly, I got close to telling the taxi driver to turn around and take us home – Fiona’s only safe place – as the stress was unbearable.
"But of course that self-pity pales into insignificance compared to what Fiona was going through."
Months after Fiona was first diagnosed with the incurable condition, she confessed she was 'shattered' to discover she would likely face the same fate as her parents.
She told The Mirror at the time: "This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me.
"And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it’s heartbreaking.
"I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future."
Fiona's late parents Neville and Amy both passed away due to Alzheimer’s complications, and she has haunting memories of their final days.
While she knew it was a possibility she might follow in their footsteps, she wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.
The much-loved broadcaster admitted: "It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80. But I was still only 61 years old.
"I 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.
"It just keeps coming back for us."
