Former ITV host Fiona Phillips says living with Alzheimer’s disease is “frightening and confusing”.
The British TV presenter was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2022, sharing the news publicly the following year. Both her parents died of the disease. She has now written a book about her journey with the condition.
Fiona, 64, said she initially thought her “brain fog and anxiety” were due to menopause.
Her book about caring for her parents is called Before I Forget: A Daughter’s Story. She has now written a book about her own experience with the disease called Remember When, with the assistance of her husband Martin Frizell and journalist and friend Alison Phillips.
Fiona said her reason for writing the book was to show how life “can still bring joy” despite the disease.
She has now written a book about her own experience with the disease called Remember When. (ITV)
“I hope this book can show people a little about what it is like to live with Alzheimer’s. How frightening and confusing it is,” she explained.
“But also how much life can still bring joy and be valued.
“And if you or someone you love is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, I hope this book brings you some comfort. I want you to know, you are not alone.”
Dementia Australia ‘disappointed’ after Alzheimer’s drug rejected by TGA
While majority of the book is based on Fiona’s experiences, Frizell also gives his perspective on caring for his wife of 27 years.
Frizell stepped down as editor of ITV’s This Morning in 2024 to help care for Fiona.
“Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change, so I need to free up time for them,” he said in a statement.
“I love my team at ITV and will miss them, and the thrill of live telly, but it’s an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment, and I won’t be able to do both.”
The couple wed in 1997 and share two children, sons Nat and Mackenzie.
Fiona is best known for presenting ITV’s breakfast program GMTV Today from 1997 to 2008 and later as a panellist on Loose Women.
Following the loss of both her parents, Fiona began working with Age UK.
Fiona told The Mirror in an interview she was worried about how people would perceive her following her diagnosis. Instead she has been met with “incredible kindness”.
“And so many people have told me about how Alzheimer’s has hit their families, as it has attacked mine, and somehow it just makes them feel a little bit less alone,” she added.
News
You Picked the Wrong Woman” — Karoline Leavitt Silences a Cocky Ex-NFL Star Live on Air, and the Internet Can’t Get Enough
The moment was electric — the kind of live TV where you just know something unforgettable is about to happen….
‘It was absolutely te:rrif:ying” – Southwest passenger describes h0rr0r of plummeting mid-air as screams filled the cabin when pilot avoided cr:ash
A Southwest passenger aboard a flight that was forced to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision said screams…
What’s Next for Late-Night? Expert Breaks Silence After Shocking Cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
After the CBS network cancelled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after three decades, one media expert has weighed in…
“I Know His True Face” – Ozzy Osbourne’s first wife decides to erase the rock star from her life as she reveals ha:unting secrets from their “HE:LLI:SH” past together
As the patriarch of reality TV show The Osbournes – presiding in potty-mouthed dysfunction over the family antics – he won a…
“I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT NIGHT” – Sharon Osbourne speaks through heartbreak as she recalls the moment Ozzy Osbourne brought another woman back to the h0tel — forgetting his own wife was already there
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, once fondly recalled what happened when the Black Sabbath frontman picked up a…
Cameras Off, True Colors Revealed – What Stephen Mulhern Did Backstage at You Bet! Will Leave You Sh0cked
Another brand-new series of You Bet! is set to air on ITV with host Stephen Mulhern at the helm. And now, someone who managed…
End of content
No more pages to load
