Fiona Phillips and her husband, Martin Frizell, have opened up about her heartbreaking Alzheimer’s battle in an emotional excerpt from their upcoming book.
Former ITV star Fiona, 64, was diagnosed with the disease back in 2022.
Today, in a new piece published in the MailOnline, Fiona and ex-This Morning editor Martin spoke about the devastating effects Alzheimer’s has been having on the star and their lives together.
Fiona Phillips and husband Martin Frizell on her Alzheimer’s battle
In the piece, ex-Strictly star Fiona, 64, admitted that many of her memories feel “out of reach” now. She compared reaching for her memories to “trying to chase a £5 note on a gusty day”.
She went on to say that she used to be able to talk to “anyone about anything”. However, now, she admits, she finds talking about her own life “agonisingly difficult”.
Martin then wrote how, last year, all the things they enjoyed doing together started to become “too difficult” for Fiona.
It’s becoming ‘harder and harder’
Martin went on to detail how Fiona has asked him in the past “Where do I go to bed?”, something he has had to remind her about.
He then went on to say that it is becoming “harder and harder” for her to remember people and places. He added that she is also becoming confused with text messages as she is unable to remember who sent them to her or why.
Being brutally honest, I wish Fiona had contracted cancer instead.
Martin detailed how Fiona “gave up” reading emails and magazines, and when he’d get home from work, she’d “rarely” leave his side.
Martin then explained in the article that at the time of writing (January 2025), Fiona “needed a lot of help”.
“She needs help showering and brushing her teeth. She can do these things physically but is unable now to think about how she should do them.I wash Fiona’s hair because she wouldn’t know what shampoo or conditioner to use or how wet her hair needs to be or that she must rinse the soap suds out afterward,” he said.
‘Fiona needs a lot of help’
“She can put clothes on, but may not put them on the right way around, so she does need help dressing. I try to lay out clothes for her to put on in the morning, but she tends to get attached to particular items of clothing and will wear them over and over again. There have also been things I’ve had to do for her that are far worse than putting toothpaste on her brush. I’d ask myself, can this get any worse, can this really get any worse?” he then said.
However, he admitted that it “does”, and then becomes “routine”.
“Being brutally honest, I wish Fiona had contracted cancer instead. It’s a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance of a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway and an array of support and care packages,” he then confessed.
Martin then revealed that before Christmas 2024, he decided to get some additional help with caring for Fiona. He told his wife he was hiring a “housekeeper” when in actual fact, he had brought in a trained carer. This is because Fiona would be “appalled” he’d hired one.
The carer also helps make Fiona food and drink. This is because the TV star isn’t able to “work out” how to do that any more.
‘You’re not my husband’
Martin also detailed some episodes of “extreme confusion” from Fiona. In these episodes, the TV star has become “incredibly distressed” and asked for her parents, who have sadly passed away.
When told that they aren’t around any more, Fiona has accused Martin of “lying”, before demanding “get me my husband!”. When Martin has explained to her that he is her husband, she has responded by saying “no you are not”.
However, he has admitted he doesn’t feel hurt by her remarks. This is because he knows it isn’t Fiona talking. He then went on to heartbreakingly detail how Fiona simply “exists” in the present, as she doesn’t have an “immediate past” or future in her mind.
Martin went on to say how it can feel “lonely”, something he feels “selfish” admitting.
He also explained how Fiona gets “upset” when they discuss her Alzheimer’s, so it’s not something they talk about.
At the end of the piece, Martin admitted that although he’d love to reassure people Fiona is “at peace”, he confessed that would be a lie. He said that she is “frustrated every single day. And depressed”.
Fiona and Martin’s new book, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, will be published later this month.
Read more: Fiona Phillips’ husband Martin Frizell shares candid update amid wife’s Alzheimer’s battle
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