Her new memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, was released just days ago.
The revered ITV presenter was 61 years old when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s back in 2022.
Now, Martin has given an emotional update on Fiona’s condition after caring for her by her side.
“In the cab ride… she asked me 72 times, ‘where are we going?’”
Journalist Martin Frizell, married to former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips, talks about the progression of his wife’s Alzheimer’s.#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/THihmNsRy5
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) July 16, 2025
“The good news is that there’s some improvement in terms of her mood,” Martin said.
“Not so much in terms of Alzheimer’s but in terms of being able to get better sleep, and better appetite.”
Martin then went on to say that his wife has “less confusion” after the new antidepressant she’s been given.
“If anything, she’s in a much better place than she was a few weeks ago,” he continued.
However, he revealed that his wife becomes frustrated while watching TV, now she’s unable to do the on-screen work she perfected and loved for decades.
“Fiona’s main problem with her Alzheimer’s right now is her frustration,” he said. “She’ll watch telly and she’ll get frustrated that she’s not working. She’ll get anxious or frightened thinking about it. This was a fearless women. She spent decades doing this.
“Seeing her now in that anxious phase is horrible,” he said. “The whole of Alzheimer’s is horrible, as such.” Continuing on a more positive note, Martin continued: “But she’s still very much with us and sharp as a tack.”
Gushing over their relationship, Martin, who met Fiona while working at GMTV in the 90s said she was the “nicest person I’ve ever met,” while working in the business.
Martin and Fiona share two sons, Mackenzie and Nathaniel, who Martin said were doing “great”.
“It’s almost like a tag team. We’re getting through. For the time being we don’t really need much help.
It comes after This Morning boss Martin Frizell has said that the Phillip Schofield drama “helped” him while dealing with Fiona Phillips’ Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Recommended reading:
The drama at work gave Martin something else to focus on while things were all going on at home. The scandal managed to take “his mind off Fiona at home”.
“It meant there was a lot to sort out to make the show the best it possibly could be, but being that busy actually helped me.
“I loved going into work – not because it was an escape from what was going on at home, but because it gave me structure and normality. And it meant that I didn’t have time to think about what was to come for Fiona. For both of us,” he said.
