Martin Frizell, the husband of TV presenter Fiona Phillips, has provided an update on her battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, saying she is “still very much with us”. The 65-year-old former GMTV host was diagnosed in 2023 after experiencing brain fog and anxiety.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Frizell said Phillips remains the “world’s most stubborn woman”, which makes administering medicine difficult. He explained that she copes by refusing to discuss the illness, preferring to believe she has chronic depression, a symptom of the disease.
Frizell noted that while Phillips’s parents both had Alzheimer’s, tests showed her condition is not genetic, though she is “more predisposed to it”. He urged the government to increase funding for Alzheimer’s research, calling it “Britain’s biggest killer” and “the poor relation” compared to other diseases.
The couple, married since 1997, live in south London with their two sons. Frizell stepped down as editor of ITV’s This Morning in December 2024, citing changing family priorities.
