TV presenter Fiona Phillips, once a shining light of British television, is now the centre of a heartbreaking real-life story. Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 61, the 64-year-old is slowly slipping away—and her family are bravely opening up about the painful reality of watching her fade.
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In deeply emotional excerpts from the upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, Fiona’s husband, Martin Frizell, shares how their family is experiencing what he calls a “living grief.”
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Martin—former editor of This Morning—stepped away from his high-profile role to become Fiona’s full-time carer. Now, he and their two sons, Nathaniel (26) and Mackenzie (23), are struggling with the weight of her illness.
“Bit by bit, it [Alzheimer’s] takes everything. Through time, even the most glamorous, glittering star – such as Fiona was – will be wiped away,” Martin heartbreakingly reveals.
“On top of the stress, the boys and I are enduring a kind of living grief – a slow goodbye to the woman we love.”
Martin describes the lack of ongoing support families receive following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
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“You are pretty much left to your own devices… If I were to fall ill or worse, the whole house of cards would collapse. I have had to stay well for Fiona.”
Since stepping back from work, Martin has taken over everyday tasks—from cooking and cleaning to managing bills and caring full-time for Fiona.
“It was knackering. There were times I felt drained, physically and emotionally.”
But the toll on their marriage has also been significant. In the memoir, Fiona bravely admits that she and Martin separated briefly, not knowing at the time that her symptoms were tied to a deeper medical cause.
“I started becoming more and more disconnected from Martin and the boys,” she wrote.
“I didn’t seem to have the energy for any of it anymore.”When Martin told her he was moving out, it was a wake-up call. Thankfully, the couple reunited, realising how deeply they missed each other.
Fiona revealed her diagnosis publicly in the summer of 2023, and shared the cruel family history that haunted her:
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“This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me,” she said.
“My poor mum was crippled with it. Then my dad, my grandparents, and my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us.”Family vacation packages
Now, Martin and Fiona’s story is shining a much-needed light on the silent devastation of Alzheimer’s—and the strength it takes to love through loss while someone is still right in front of you.
