It was a cold, rainy winter day in London. Fiona Phillips, a 65-year-old former television presenter known for hosting GMTV, was traveling in a taxi with her husband, Martin Frizell, who she has been married to for 28 years. Fiona is currently living with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which is progressing.
They’re going to see a doctor who specializes in treating her severe pain, hoping for some relief.
It’s been a painful and frustrating experience, lasting for months without a clear diagnosis. Despite seeing many specialists, the problem – a related health issue – has caused significant stress for everyone involved.
Martin remembers that driving or using public transport was impossible. Fiona had become very confused, repeatedly asking what was happening – likely every few seconds throughout the entire trip – because she often didn’t know where they were going or why.
I almost asked the taxi driver to just go back – Fiona feels safest at home – because I was so stressed out.
‘But of course that self-pity pales into insignificance compared to what Fiona was going through.’
She lived with ongoing pain. Despite many trips to the hospital for tests and treatments, doctors couldn’t figure out the cause of her problem.
Then someone recommended seeing a neuropsychiatrist. Martin recalls being surprised, saying, ‘I’d never even heard of such a specialist before!’
They were headed towards him, and he fully expected Fiona’s suffering to be caused by a combination of illness and pain.
He explained that the worry and stress from Alzheimer’s could actually cause a significant memory lapse, as her brain attempted to cope by focusing on things from the past.
Her most vivid recent memory was actually a painful one. She remembered intense discomfort from before a surgery she’d undergone several months ago.
Martin learned they had some understanding of what was happening. He was advised that Fiona needed to relax, get plenty of rest, and sleep – and she’s been doing just that lately.
But there was also an unsettling question he could not shake off. Was the pain real or imagined?
‘I heard what the expert said,’ he reflects, ‘but I honestly don’t know.
I sometimes catch myself wondering if someone is trying to get attention, and I feel awful for thinking that. But I’ve been told it’s a common feeling for people who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.
My friend Martin is giving me an honest interview to discuss the updated version of Fiona’s moving book, Remember When. The book, which tells a heartbreaking story, was originally published in installments in the Daily Mail last July.
He reports that her health has declined a bit since the last update, and it’s now stabilized at a certain level. He’s also included a particularly touching new section.
Fiona, with assistance from Martin, powerfully described the frightening experience of losing her mental faculties.
She looked at the enormous collection of newspaper and magazine clippings they’d amassed while researching the book and said, ‘It’s full of memories.’
‘I know they are there. Yet so many of them feel out of reach now.
It feels like I’m on the verge of remembering something, but the memory slips away just as I try to grab hold of it. I can’t seem to catch up – it’s like trying to hold onto a five-pound note blowing in the wind.
Martin shared equally heartbreaking details in the book. He described their everyday life during the summer of 2024, following Fiona’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2022.
I used to wake up around seven and head downstairs to make coffee. If Fiona heard me moving around, she’d often join me.
I’d give her an antidepressant and make her a cup of tea, then get ready for work – I used to run shows at ITV like GMTV, This Morning, and Loose Women.
Fiona had this habit of turning to me and asking, “What shall we do now?” I’d usually suggest she get some rest, maybe a couple of hours in bed, but she’d always reply that it was too early to sleep.
She’d often ask where she should sleep, and I would gently remind her, “In the bedroom,” pointing towards the stairs in her own house.
Martin expressed his frustration and admitted feeling bad about being angry. He explained that people who assume it’s easy to repeatedly explain something haven’t actually tried it – not just once or twice, but consistently, day after day.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve rarely encountered a story that resonated so deeply with people. This book, so beautifully honest about love and commitment, particularly as someone navigates loss, truly touched a nerve. The response has been incredible – I’ve been flooded with messages from readers sharing their own experiences and offering support. It’s a reminder of the power of a story told with such vulnerability.
In the updated chapter, Martin describes the extremely hot weather during the book’s release and the day he realized Fiona was feeling up to a walk.
‘I usually made the destination our local Londis,’ he says. ‘There and back was about as far as we could manage.’
He grabbed a Magnum ice cream, but Fiona suddenly became worried. As she nervously glanced around and hurried to tell me she needed to go home, I quickly paid for the ice cream, peeled off the wrapper, and handed it to her.
It was a welcome distraction, pulling her thoughts away from negativity. For a little while, she felt much better, and we were able to have a clear conversation about her book, how it was released, and the positive feedback it received.
It’s incredibly frustrating to see Fiona, who always tried to please others and was a kind, down-to-earth person from Canterbury and Southampton, now appearing disconnected. Despite seeming lost, she’s still present – she simply can’t express her gratitude independently.
She struggles with technology – she can’t use a smartphone, social media, or even write a simple letter, let alone speak in public. So, it was difficult for her to express her gratitude for all the support she was receiving.
Just around the corner from the shop, I convinced Fiona to film a short video on my phone. She was holding her dog, Magnum, and smiling, and she was wearing the new Prada sunglasses I’d gotten her – she’d even started sleeping with them, like a cozy blanket. It was only a nine-second clip where she thanked everyone who had read her book, but it quickly became incredibly popular online.
She delivered the message in a single, quick burst – it was all I was going to get. She said, “Hello, thank you for reading my book, it means a lot, and I hope you enjoy it. Okay, bye.”
That short nine-second video has become incredibly popular on Instagram, racking up 3.6 million views, 80,000 likes, and 2,500 comments so far.
Nearly all of those who shared their thoughts said they had either personally cared for someone with dementia or knew someone who had been impacted by the condition.
This points to a widespread, hidden health crisis – a condition that feels like it has affected nearly every family in the UK and currently has no cure.
Fiona cared for both of her parents as they lived with Alzheimer’s disease. This experience led her to become a dedicated advocate and ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, before she herself received a heartbreaking diagnosis of the same condition.
Martin estimates that millions of people in the UK live with the daily hardship of Alzheimer’s, and many are completely overwhelmed trying to manage the condition.
The messages came in in their thousands after the book was published.
I understand what you’re going through because I also have two parents with dementia, so I really connected with your points about the challenges of caregiving and how little help there is.
I just wanted to say how incredibly grateful I am to you and the boys – Mackenzie and Nathaniel – for taking such wonderful care of Fiona at home. It meant so much to me to not feel so isolated for once, knowing she was in such capable and caring hands. You all are truly amazing.
Martin deeply understands how isolating it can be, having left his job at ITV to care for his wife. He writes in his new book that Alzheimer’s creates a very lonely experience, saying, ‘It’s the isolation that gets you, because it’s a lonely life, this Alzheimer’s game.’
After a fast-paced career filled with creative work, constant problem-solving, and impactful stories, facing the reality of leaving it all behind to care for a family member with dementia is incredibly difficult.
There have been some ‘lovely’ messages from celebrities that Fiona and Martin knew through work.
I couldn’t believe it when I got a message… it was for Fiona, but from Kate McCann! Kate, Madeleine’s mum… the whole thing just sent shivers down my spine. It was so unexpected, I was completely floored!
She recalled being a kind, cheerful, and competent woman. Kate believed those qualities had served Fiona well.
I was surprised to learn from the letter that Kate McCann, a doctor herself, had dedicated nearly a decade to working with the NHS Memory Services. She was particularly motivated by her father’s own experience with dementia.
As Martin read the lengthy letter Kate had sent, Fiona was reminded of Madeleine and tears filled her eyes.
For a brief time, her Alzheimer’s seemed to clear, and she was again the familiar TV presenter and caring mother figure. She had gotten to know Kate and Gerry McCann, having met them on multiple occasions, and was the first to report Madeleine’s disappearance on the GMTV program.
The clouds returned, and the memory faded just as quickly as it had appeared. The glimpse of the old Fiona vanished, leaving no trace.
Martin is 67 and dealing with difficult emotional swings. It’s hard for him to witness moments of his loved one’s warmth and kindness, knowing they’re often followed by periods of intense worry and sadness.
A doctor recommended social events like Alzheimer’s discos, but Fiona often feels too anxious to even leave home.
He admits she relies on him heavily, maybe more than she should. To maintain his own well-being, he makes an effort to get out for a coffee break each day, and occasionally even manages a day trip on a boat.
‘Try as I might, though, I still worry about whether she’s all right back home.’
Martin finds some relief from his usual routine with a new job running a broadcasting company. He hosts both a true-crime podcast, which he’s now taking on the road, and a political podcast that he enjoys because it helps him stay informed about current events.
Honestly, it’s a bit funny. Fiona still hasn’t tuned into any of my work, and she genuinely believes I’m still hosting a major national morning show! It’s sweet, in a way, but it shows how disconnected we’ve become. She’s living in a past version of my life, and I just let it be – it’s easier that way.
Martin continues to be Fiona’s main caregiver. He attempted to hire a professional carer, introducing them as a housekeeper to avoid raising Fiona’s concerns, but she quickly realized what was happening.
So it is just him and, of course, the couple’s two sons.
He’s heartbroken about what happened to his wife, who used to be a dazzling celebrity. She always loved fashion, makeup, and a good chat, and took pride in looking her best whenever she went out.
He gently washes her hair because she’s forgotten how, and helps her brush her teeth before she goes to bed. She spends most of the day resting comfortably in bed.
Martin, like many others facing this difficult situation, constantly worries about how long he can continue to provide care for his wife at home. He wonders what the future holds.
He recently got back from a short trip to Tuscany, where he and Fiona own a small villa. Since they no longer plan family vacations there, he’s decided to rent it out to help with expenses.
While he was having dinner alone at the neighborhood restaurant, the people who loved Fiona kept asking when she would return.
He replied, ‘Hopefully in a month’ – knowing the real answer is ‘never’.
The new paperback edition of Remember When includes a previously unpublished photo of her from a fashion shoot at the villa ten years ago. Taken by renowned photographer Nicky Johnston, the image shows her looking stunning in a red outfit.
The photo was taken when Fiona was at her happiest, before she received her diagnosis, and in a place she adored. When Martin recently showed it to her, she instantly became her old, vibrant self, playfully slipping into the dress she still keeps – though it now hangs loosely on her due to weight loss.
For a moment she was the gorgeous, bubbly, Fiona of old.
The villa features an archway she covered with jasmine ten years ago. She always dreamed of standing beneath the flowering vines with her loved one, arms linked, and now they do, though sadly, she won’t be there to share it.
The jasmine’s strong fragrance feels both lovely and sad today, bringing back memories of simpler, happier summer days for Martin.
He wrote the new chapter because he wants us to remember his wife as she used to be, before her current condition.
Despite my requests, he would not provide any current pictures of Fiona.
You know, these days, simple pleasures really hit the spot. I find myself happiest winding down at night, putting on some Rod Stewart. I had the chance to interview him quite a few times over the years, and he was just the sweetest – he always affectionately called me ‘Doris’! It’s those little memories that really make life special, don’t you think?
It’s heartbreaking to watch someone you love struggle with anxiety, and in my experience, it can manifest in really unexpected ways. With my mother, it got to the point where she needed me to explain simple things – like where the music was coming from. It was tough because she’d lost touch with concepts most of us take for granted, things like speakers or even how an iPhone works. It really highlighted how anxiety can disconnect someone from everyday reality.
Martin wants to make sure people understand how many are facing the same struggles as Fiona and himself – quietly enduring difficult times without support.
He isn’t trying to become the face of the fight against Alzheimer’s, but he’s deeply upset by the suffering it causes families. It’s frustrating that a disease which is incurable and claims more lives each year than heart disease or stroke receives so little research funding – far less than cancer, which gets about 13 times more.
In her book, Martin shockingly admits to a thought he understands was terrible: ‘I honestly wished she would get cancer. Maybe then there’d be a cure.’
The Daily Mail and Alzheimer’s Society recently started the Defeating Dementia campaign because of a need for more funding. The campaign aims to support research, raise awareness about dementia, help people get diagnosed earlier, and improve the quality of care for those living with the condition.
Fiona and Martin continue to struggle with a pain that began when Fiona first showed symptoms of the illness in her fifties.
As she wrote when she was still able to: ‘My marriage was coming under increasing strain.
‘I’m sure the disease was at least partly responsible but at the time neither of us could see it.
I gradually grew distant from my sons. My wife often told me I seemed completely detached from our family and our relationship.
‘”Don’t be so bloody ridiculous!” I’d yell back.’
They had a brief separation, but quickly realized how much they needed each other. Since then, Martin has been a constant source of help and support.
It’s incredibly difficult for him. When he gets upset about the unfairness of his situation, he reminds himself of three words professionals have advised him to repeat: ‘Don’t feel guilty!’
And he shouldn’t, for his love for Fiona has never dimmed.
He shared that she sometimes asks him not to leave when he goes out, simply because she likes having him nearby.
‘And it breaks my heart that my strong independent wife has become so vulnerable.’
You can find dates and tickets for Martin Frizell’s ‘This Much is True Crime’ podcast on the Tartan Noir website: www.tartannoir.co.uk.
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2026-02-07 02:13