Former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips took part in series three of Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, alongside professional dancer Brendan Cole.
The TV legend was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022 at the age of 61, news she received with “heartbreak”.
Her husband, Martin Frizell, recently issued an update on her health, saying she is now suffering from a “secondary problem that causes her to be in pain a lot”.
Her memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, came out on July 17, 2025. In it, she lifts the lid on her experience dancing alongside Brendan Cole, who is on Pointless Celebrities tonight (July 19)…
Fiona Phillips ‘blocked out’ memories of Strictly alongside Brendan Cole
In her new memoir, released this week, Fiona Phillips writes about her experiences of competing on Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dance partner Brendan Cole in 2005.
“I really don’t remember much of that time now – maybe I blocked it out because all I recall is the sense that it was incredibly traumatic,” she writes.
“I was on the brink of tears most of the time and felt utterly exhausted,” she continues. “And it all seemed so pointless. Brendan would be swinging me around the dance floor for a paso doble and I’d be thinking, I’ve just put Mum in a care home, what on Earth am I doing dressed up to the nines in a dancing competition?”
She concedes that she “probably have told the crew” – or at least Brendan – “how much I was struggling” with her mum’s Alzheimer’s, but she didn’t. “I just stumbled on,” she writes. “Literally.”
The pair of them left in the fourth week of the competition. Their elimination was for the best, she writes, although she’s not sure Brendan saw it that way at the time.
“It was all over on Bonfire Night. What a relief!”
Entertainment Daily has reached out to Brendan Cole’s spokesperson with a request for comment on Fiona’s claims about his behaviour during their stint on Strictly.
Brendan announced in 2018 that his Strictly contract had not been renewed
Cole appeared in the first 15 series of the long running BBC One dance competition. He and Natasha Kaplinsky won its opening series, as well as the 2017 Christmas Special.
However, he announced in January 2018 that his contract had not been renewed, and he would not be returning for a 16th swing of the hammer.
He revealed during an interview on ITV‘s Lorraine that the BBC had made an “editorial decision” not to have him back on the show. He also said it left him “in shock”.
After he left the show, Fiona told the Daily Star that Brendan had been “really naughty” during their time together on the show, per the Mirror.
“Brendan was a real [bleep] actually. He wasn’t very nice. He was really naughty. He’s not on the show now. Karma indeed. It works its way every time.”
Fiona’s memoir revisits the events from two decades ago. Last night, her husband Martin Frizell shared a new video of Fiona. In it, she thanked her fans for reading her memoir, and said that she hoped they enjoyed it.
Catch Brendan Cole on Pointless Celebrities at 7:30pm on BBC One.
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