Martin Frizell has shared a new update on his wife Fiona Phillips' battle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, including a direct message to Andy Burnham. Phillips has been battling the condition since 2022 and went public with her diagnosis the following year. Both of her parents suffered from Alzheimer's before her, and by the time she turned 61 doctors had delivered the heartbreaking news after months of brain fog and anxiety.
Frizell has been by her side throughout, helping her release the autobiography Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer's. He has shared updates and photos of the former GMTV presenter as the pair navigate their new reality.
Andy Burnham Message
Frizell's most recent post showed Fiona sitting at the breakfast table with a spoon in hand, grinning at the camera. Fiona, who used to sport cropped blonde hair, now has brunette tresses reaching past her shoulders and greying at the roots, looking happy as she tucked into a bowl of cereal.
Frizell explained: "Fiona at breakfast today, at one point she was going to work with Andy Burnham as Health Secretary when Gordon Brown asked her to become a health minister in his government. If the new Prime Minister, who knows what Alzheimer's can do from his father's experience, follows through on making a difference to sufferers like Fiona, his dad and millions of others then he will become the most consequential politician of his generation."
He added: "For decades no-one listened, dementia became the poor relation to cancer and yet it's our biggest killer. Sadly it's taken someone touched by dementia to take it seriously but how will we afford to treat it properly? Who knows, but when your family life is altered forever by a dementia diagnosis you won't be quibbling about one or two per cent extra you've contributed to provide to a proper care system. If in doubt spend a day with an Alzheimer's family and you'll see why there's so much hope riding on Andy Burnham and Louise Casey. It cheered up our morning."
Ice Cream Detour
In April 2026, while Frizell was touring Scotland with his podcast This Much is True Crime, he shared a photo of Fiona enjoying a walk in the park in a royal blue jumper and sunglasses, eating a Magnum ice cream.
Flavour Change
He captioned the post: "Very touched by many nice comments from folk asking about Fiona whilst I'm on our short Tartan Noir Scottish tour so here's a picture of what she's up to in my absence - she's changed Magnum flavours! This was Fiona out in the London sunshine this week and almond has been replaced by the white chocolate version. Simple pleasures but a highlight of the day."
Zero Government Action
In February 2026, Frizell slammed the former Labour administration under Keir Starmer as he shared a snap of Fiona in a brown fluffy jacket out on the street. He said: "So it was a choice, either get a dog or a jacket that looks like a dog. Paperback version of Fiona's book out this week with a new chapter updating where we've reached and still zero government action on Alzheimer's since I last spoke in the summer."
Fiona looked cheerful in the snap, wearing a white jumper underneath her coat and a pair of brown sunglasses, with her hair still blonde.
