Former ITV editor speaks out on ‘wretched’ reality of Alzheimer’s, lost memories, fading dignity — and why he fears the disease is being forgotten
Martin Frizell has spoken candidly about the devastating toll Alzheimer’s disease has taken on his wife Fiona Phillips — describing a daily heartbreak that he says is “wretched” not just for her, but for their entire family.
Appearing on Lorraine, the former This Morning editor issued a deeply emotional update on Fiona’s condition, four years after the broadcaster was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 61.
Now 65, Fiona is living with a progressive, incurable brain disorder that affects memory, thinking and behaviour — and Martin admits he is watching the woman he loves slowly disappear.
‘She Doesn’t Remember Christmas Anymore’
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, Martin revealed that Fiona no longer remembers key moments that once defined their family life.
“She doesn’t remember Valentine’s Day,” he said quietly.
“She doesn’t remember Christmas now. She doesn’t remember New Year’s.”
As he shared a recent photograph of Fiona taken at home just a day earlier, Martin described the experience as heartbreaking beyond words.
“It’s wretched,” he said.
“Not just for her — but for the family as well.”
The Pain of Watching a Loved One Fade
Martin explained that while Fiona is still physically present, the changes are relentless and impossible to ignore.
“She’s still there,” he said.
“But day by day, we can see it slipping away.”
He spoke movingly about the loss of dignity that has accompanied the illness — something that hurts deeply given Fiona’s once-vibrant personality.
“This was a woman who was dynamic, bubbly, full of pride in how she dressed and what she did,” he said.
“And now, you just sit there and watch that dignity being stripped away.”
Martin’s Own Silent Struggle
In a rare admission, Martin also revealed how caring for Fiona has affected his own mental health.
“I’ve never been a depressive person,” he said,
“but I can feel myself slipping into that.”
He admitted that while people often ask if he is coping, he used to brush off concern — until he realised he could no longer ignore his own emotional state.
“My respite is work,” he explained.
“I’ve gone back to broadcasting and podcasting — but I feel guilty. I feel guilty being away from her.”
‘She’s Still the World’s Most Stubborn Woman’
Despite the illness, Martin was keen to stress that Fiona is not defined by her diagnosis.
“I don’t want people to think she’s some sort of basket case,” he said.
“She’s very much still with us.”
He smiled as he described her enduring stubborn streak and moments of joy at home.
The family plays her music constantly — especially Rod Stewart, whom Fiona once interviewed as a reporter and later befriended.
“She knows all the tunes,” Martin said.
“I think she could win The Hit List.”
Anger at Government Inaction
Martin also used the interview to launch a pointed criticism of the government, accusing ministers of failing to prioritise Alzheimer’s research and care.
He singled out Health Secretary Wes Streeting, questioning why targets for Alzheimer’s diagnosis had been scrapped.
“Since Fiona’s book came out, nobody is talking about Alzheimer’s,” he said.
“Cancer gets up to ten times more funding than dementia.”
He added, bitterly:
“I wish she’d been diagnosed with cancer — because at least there are drugs.”
Martin revealed that Fiona was initially prescribed the same medication her mother had taken 20 years earlier, despite new treatments existing abroad that are not approved in the UK due to cost concerns.
Living With the Reality of Dementia
In Fiona’s memoir Remember When, which Martin helped write, he shared the painful lessons learned from living with Alzheimer’s — including the importance of never arguing with someone suffering from the disease.
“What am I supposed to say when she says, ‘You’re not my husband’?” he wrote.
“It’s not Fiona talking. It’s the illness.”
The couple’s two sons, Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23, also live with the daily emotional toll — sometimes joining their father in elaborate routines to calm Fiona’s fears and confusion.
‘You Become Invisible’
Martin admitted that despite recognising the diagnosis coming, the moment it was confirmed was still “awful”.
“There are around 70,000 people with early-onset Alzheimer’s,” he said.
“And there’s very little help.”
He described how families like theirs are often left to cope alone.
“You become invisible,” he said.
“If you mention Alzheimer’s, it brings it to the front — and it’s upsetting, because she knows where it’s going.”
A Plea Not to Look Away
As Fiona’s condition continues to worsen, Martin’s message is clear: Alzheimer’s is not a quiet illness — and it cannot be ignored.
Behind closed doors, families are watching loved ones slip away piece by piece.
And for Martin Frizell, the fight is not only for his wife — but for recognition, research, and hope for those still living in the shadows of the disease.
