Fiona Phillips struggling with ‘loss of dignity’ in heartbreaking Alzheimer’s update

Her husband has opened up about the former GMTV star’s health in a new interview

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Fiona Phillips’ husband MartinFrizell shared an update on her health(Image: ITV)

Fiona Phillips’ husband has said it’s ‘not talked about enough’ as he offered an update on his wife as her life with Alzheimer’s continues to unfold.

Appearing on Lorraine on Wednesday (February 11), Fiona’s husband Martin Frizell spoke about his wife, telling viewers: “She doesn’t remember Christmas now, she doesn’t remember New Year… She’s very much with us. I don’t want to give the impression she’s some sort of basket case. She’s very much with us.”

Martin, the former editor of This Morning, continued: “She still is the world’s most stubborn woman and still around the house. There’s a nice picture of her eating some chocolate, that was just yesterday. She’ll probably hate it because she thinks her hair colour should be a bit better.”

He added: “Nothing changes in that respect but it’s wretched. I use the word wretched because I think it’s applicable to what we’re going through, not just for her, but family and the people around her as well.”

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Fiona was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 61(Image: ITV)

Martin said that while the Fiona they know and love is “still there”, he admitted that “day by day, we can see it slipping away”. He added: “To sit there and see this woman who was, as you know, the most dynamic, bubbly, smart woman, and also had such pride in how she dressed and what she did, I think a lot of her depression now, which is what she’s going through, is just at the loss of dignity.”

Martin went on to explain how he was appearing on the show as Fiona’s book, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s – which became a best seller – is now being replaced in paperback and while he initially didn’t want to do any press, he realised that Alzheimer’s seemingly hasn’t been spoken about since he last promoted her book last July.

Fiona previously told how her and Martin’s .marriage came under “increasing strain”, as she mistakenly blamed her mood swings and anxiety on “brain fog”.

In an excerpt from Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, Fiona explained: “For me it was the sense of brain fog and a sense of anxiety that I could rarely shake off.

“The simplest thing, like going to the bank to ask about my account, would send me into a total panic, and there were mood swings too, which meant even I was finding my behaviour unpredictable. And yet, despite not wanting to be like that, I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt I’d lost control over my life.”

Fiona and Martin briefly split following a series of explosive rows. But the married duo soon reunited and Martin encouraged the TV star to explore whether there was something more serious causing her mood swings.