Fiona Phillips has shared a heartbreaking update about her ‘frightening but joyful’ Alzheimer’s battle.
The former breakfast TV presenter, 64, was told she had Alzheimer’s in 2022, but only publicly shared her diagnosis in 2023, and is already struggling with lapses in her memory.
Fiona will open up about her life with Alzheimer’s in a new book, Remember When, with the help of her husband, former This Morning editor Martin Frizell, through publishers Pan Macmillan on July 3.
She explained: ‘I hope this book can show people a little about what it is like to live with Alzheimer’s.
‘How frightening and confusing it is. But also how much life can still bring joy and be valued. And if you or someone you love is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, I hope this book brings you some comfort. I want you to know, you are not alone.’
Following her diagnosis she revealed she was put on a drugs trial in an attempt to slow down the symptoms, something which she says appears to be working for her.
Fiona Phillips has shared a heartbreaking update about her ‘frightening but joyful’ Alzheimer’s battle
In an interview with Women&Home magazine, Fiona said: ‘I’m on a clinical trial and the signs are positive.
‘I’m taking part in a revolutionary drug trial that’s trying to find a cure. It involves a brand-new drug and a placebo, and I have no idea which one I’m on.
‘When I went for my six-month check-up in October, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed that I was in the same place as I was the previous year.
‘I’m hopeful that the drug is holding the disease where it is. I’d rather not have to be on the trial but I’m very grateful I am.
‘There are risks, including bleeding on the brain, so I’m a guinea pig, but there’s a real chance it could help.’
Fiona, who has two sons with Mark , stunned her millions of fans when she revealed that like both of her parents, she had Alzheimer’s.
Yet the star says she is ‘pretending’ that she doesn’t have the illness so she can carry on enjoying her life.
She still meets friends for coffee and goes for walks, though admitted that Mark- her husband of 26 years – worries about her when he’s working.
Alzheimer’s also killed her mother Amy in 2006, after she began experiencing symptoms in her early 50s
‘I know I can still have a great life. I’m just getting on with things. I’m pretending it hasn’t happened and not giving it any space in my life at the moment. Or as little as I can. I’ve still got so much I want to do.
‘I know Martin worries about what I’m doing when he’s at work or has to go out in the evening, and whether I’m eating. But this isn’t me now. I’m not about to give up. I’ve still got so much to look forward to.’
Fiona, who left GMTV in December 2008 for family reasons, said that since her diagnosis she speaks her mind more and has become more ‘honest’ with people.
She added that nobody has reacted badly to her more candid comments.
‘Martin says I have no filter now, and it’s true,’ said Fiona.
Ms Phillips presented GMTV for more than a decade before leaving the show (pictured: Ms Phillips alongside Eamonn Holmes)
‘I come out with some funny things. I’ve become more honest with people, which I don’t see as a negative thing.
‘No one has reacted badly, and most of the time I’m complimenting people and saying things I would have thought but not blurted out.
‘I think Martin gets a bit exasperated at times but all my friends are used to it now. My diagnosis is definitely not all doom and gloom. There is still a lot of light in the darkness, and you’ve always got to look for that.’
