Fiona Phillips’ husband Martin Frizell gives touching update on Alzheimer’s-stricken star, 64, alongside his favourite picture of ‘her vitality’ before heartbreaking diagnosis

Fiona Phillips’ husband Martin Frizell took to Instagram on Sunday to share a heartwarming update on the Alzheimer’s-stricken star.

The former GMTV host, 64, was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder in 2022, aged just 61 and has since been cared for by the former This Morning executive, 66, who has shared sporadic updates on their life.

Last month, the couple released Fiona’s book Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, and on Sunday Martin shared an image of the prestigious Sunday Times Bestsellers’ List – showimg the book sitting at number four.

In an accompanying caption, he wrote: ‘She wants to say a massive thank you to everyone who has shown interest in her story, it’s really lifted her mood. Can I also thank the many folk who have been in touch with their own stories’.

As well as news of her happiness, he attached an image of a younger Fiona beaming at the camera and penned: ‘I attach my favourite picture of her from a tv location shoot and shows what a force of life and vitality she had.’

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Fiona Phillips’ husband Martin Frizell took to Instagram on Sunday to share a heartwarming update on the Alzheimer’s-stricken star alongside his favourite picture of his wife

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Last month, the couple released Fiona’s book Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s , and on Sunday Martin shared an image of the prestigious Sunday Times Bestsellers’ List – showimg the book sitting at number four

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In an accompanying caption, he wrote: ‘She wants to say a massive thank you to everyone who has shown interest in her story, it’s really lifted her mood. Can I also thank the many folk who have been in touch with their own stories’

He revealed the couple often look at photo albums while listening to music such as 70s Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics and Sting’s group The Police.

In the book, Fiona and Martin – who wed in 1997 and share two children – discuss how life has been rocked by her diagnosis, with Martin detailing the lengths he must go to in his care for the star, who found fame as a presenter on GMTV in the 1990s.

Martin was a veteran of the running of ITV, with his career on the network spanning a host of breakfast shows, including GMTV, This Morning and Loose Women, before Fiona’s illness led to his retirement last year.

In the new Instagram post, he sweetly shared his pride in his wife, with a caption reading: ‘I’m sitting under a pink awning hence the colour of the Sunday Times Bestsellers list – the chart everyone wants to be on…

‘And for the fifth consecutive week, Fiona is on the bestsellers list ( she made No1). She wants to say a massive thank you to everyone who has shown interest in her story, it’s really lifted her mood…

‘Can I also thank the many folk who have been in touch with their own stories, suggestions of new treatments and memories of Fiona from her working day…

‘I attach my favourite picture of her from a tv location shoot and shows what a force of life and vitality she had. It’s from one of the many photo albums we flick through as we enjoy Sting’s essential collection – he’s replaced the Stylistics!’

In the book, Martin shed light on how his life has changed from a high-powered ITV executive to carer for his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife.

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 He revealed the couple often look at photo albums while listening to music such as 70s Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics and Sting’s group The Police (pictured in 2010)

Having turned his back on his prolific job, in his own candid words, Martin revealed Fiona now needs ‘a lot of help’, with his care extending to showering Fiona, brushing her teeth, dressing her and ultimately ‘making her feel as safe as possible’.

He explained: ‘It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help. She needs help showering and brushing her teeth. She can do these things physically, but is unable now to think about how she should do them…

‘I wash Fiona’s hair because she wouldn’t know what shampoo or conditioner to use or how wet her hair needs to be or that she must rinse the soap suds out afterwards…

‘And most nights I’ll say, ‘Right, we need to brush our teeth before we go to bed,’ and I’ll put the toothpaste on the brush and hand it to her…

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He shared an update on Fiona’s best-selling memoir , Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s  (pictured in May this year)

She is still very stubborn and doesn’t like brushing her teeth or feeling that she is being told what to do, so she rails against it.’

He detailed how he knows he cannot fight her protestations for fear of illness, saying: ‘But this has to be the way, because the worst thing that could happen would be for her to get some kind of tooth infection when she is vulnerable.’

While Fiona can put her clothes on, she does not do so correctly – meaning Martin must also assist with this task among others.

He writes: ‘She can put clothes on, but may not put them on the right way around, so she does need help dressing….

‘I try to lay out clothes for her to put on in the morning, but she tends to get attached to particular items of clothing and will wear them over and over again.’

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Fiona first met Martin when she was working on GMTV as a presenter and he was its chief correspondent. The couple tied the knot in 1997 and share two children together (pictured in 2001)