Fiona Phillips’ Husband Shares Heartbreaking Update on Her Alzheimer’s

She no longer remembers Christmas, New Year — not even the holiday she used to hate. And now, her husband says he can see her slipping away day by day.

Fiona Phillips is slowly fading away in front of her family — and their hearts are breaking. The beloved broadcaster, once a staple of morning television, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in early 2022 at just 61.

Fiona Phillips attends the gala night performance of "The Prince of Egypt" at the Dominion Theatre on 25 February 2020 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Now, four years on, her husband Martin Frizell has revealed a crushing new update that left fans in tears. Appearing on "Lorraine", Frizell — a former "This Morning" editor — shared a deeply personal image of Phillips at home.

Seated upright in bed, her frame partially wrapped in white bedding against a bare, pale wall, the former GMTV presenter wore a bright blue jumper and held a small snack near her mouth.

Her light brown hair hung loose, and her wide-eyed, playful expression stirred heartbreak among viewers who've watched her decline unfold.

A photo of Fiona Phillips shown on "Lorraine" on 11 February 2026. | Source: YouTube/Lorraine

But it was Frizell's words that truly pierced the public's heart.

He revealed that Fiona, once razor-sharp and fiercely opinionated, no longer recognises holidays that once meant so much — or, in some cases, ones she hated.

"She doesn't remember Christmas now, she doesn't remember New Year," he said softly.

Martin Frizell appears on "Lorraine" on 11 February 2026. | Source: YouTube/Lorraine

Frizell also shared that Phillips no longer remembers Valentine's — a holiday she used to loathe — and joked that, out of "pure devilment", he might buy her a present.

Despite the humour, the weight of the update was undeniable. "I don't want to give the impression she's some sort of basket case," Frizell insisted. "She's very much with us."

Still, he didn't sugar-coat the grim truth.

Martin Frizell appears on "Lorraine" on 11 February 2026. | Source: YouTube/Lorraine

"It’s wretched," he said plainly. "I use the word wretched because I think it's applicable to what we're going through — not just for her, but for family and the people around her as well."

The woman the country once woke up with — vibrant, driven, bubbling with charm — is slowly fading.

And yet, some flickers remain. According to Frizell, music from her teenage years still lights something within her. Songs by The Stylistics, Sting and Rod Stewart still spark recognition.

Martin Frizell appears on "Lorraine" on 11 February 2026. | Source: YouTube/Lorraine

He smiled as he recalled her days interviewing Stewart in Hollywood, where the singer affectionately called her "Dorris." Frizell added, "I think she's a contender for Marvin and Rochelle's hitlist."

But even as fragments of Phillips linger, Frizell revealed the exhausting balancing act he now juggles: full-time caregiver, husband, and professional.

"I used to say it's not me that needs to be asked if I'm ok, it's not me that has the diagnosis," he said. "I've gone back to broadcasting, doing stuff ourselves and podcasting."

Martin Frizell appears on "Lorraine" on 11 February 2026. | Source: YouTube/Lorraine

Yet the guilt never lets up. "I can free myself up for eight days in April to go on tour — I haven't been away from home for more than three days in two years. I feel guilty being here and not with her," he confessed.

In one of the most heartbreaking admissions, he said quietly:

"She's still there day by day, but we can see her slipping away."

Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell attend the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards in Partnership with TSB at The Grosvenor House Hotel on 31 October 2016 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

He painted a vivid contrast between the woman he once knew — glamorous, witty, precise, always turning heads — and the woman now struggling against the disease.

"I think part of her depression now is what she's going through is the loss of dignity," he said.

Even her wardrobe, once a source of pride, now gathers dust. Frizell has previously opened up about her designer clothes and kitchen collection — relics of a life that's slowly shutting down.

"Fiona hasn't cooked in two years," he told The Telegraph last year. Her dressing room remains full of elegant pieces, but she now prefers the same simple outfit daily.

"What do I do with all these clothes?" he reflected. "It's things like cookery books as well. I've got a pile on the floor downstairs in our basement that are never going to see the light of day again. Do I take them to the dump? They're all Fiona's cookery books, but she's never going to open one again."

Fiona Phillips with husband Martin Frizell for Kate Garraway's wedding to Derek Draper at St Mary's-the Virgin on 10 September 2005 in Primrose Hill , North London. | Source: Getty Images

Frizell recalled the day their lives were upended in Phillips' memoir "Remembering When", which he co-wrote with the former journalist. After undergoing tests, a consultant delivered the news bluntly:

"I'm sorry, but I believe it's Alzheimer's."

They were handed a leaflet titled "How to live well with Alzheimer's", with a photo of an elderly couple on the front. Phillips, dressed in skinny jeans and high-heeled boots, had just turned 61.

Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell attend the funeral of Derek Draper at St Mary the Virgin Church on 2 February 2024 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

"It was utterly gut-wrenching. Sickening," Frizell said, remembering how they stared at each other, paralysed by fear, wondering what they were going to do.

Though Phillips had watched both her parents — Amy and Neville — suffer through the same illness, the diagnosis still came as a shock. Like many women, she had initially dismissed her symptoms as menopause. The brain fog. The anxiety. The creeping depression. All too familiar.

Fiona Phillips attends the gala night after party for "The Prince of Egypt" at The British Museum on 25 February 2020 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Making matters worse, the couple had to endure a two-week wait to find out whether the disease was hereditary — and if it could affect their sons, Nat and Mackenzie.

"Luckily, the blood test came back negative," Frizell shared. "The consultant said: 'The good news is it's not hereditary, your children don't have to worry about that.'"

Still, he admitted confusion. "I was told [Fiona] was 'predisposed' to it. But I still don't understand what that means," he said.

GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips is joined by a new co-host, her husband and GMTV reporter Martin Frizell, on 13 March 1998. | Source: Getty Images

Phillips herself, in a candid 2023 interview with The Mirror, opened up about the rawness of the diagnosis. "It's something I might have thought I'd get at 80," she said. "But I was still only 61 years old."

Her immediate response wasn't fear — it was fury.

Fiona Phillips attends The Prince's Trust, TKMaxx and Homesense Awards at The Palladium on 13 March 2019 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

"I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us," she lamented.

Together, Phillips and Frizell have allowed the public a rare, unfiltered glimpse into what Alzheimer's really does to a family — the grief, the indignities, the awkward silences, the painful decisions, and the slow, agonising unraveling of someone you love.