Fiona Phillips' husband recalls heartbreaking moment she didn't recognise their son amid Alzheimer's battle
The Kent-born journalist, 64, announced in 2023 that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, after initially thinking she was having menopause symptoms when she first started experiencing 'brain fog and anxiety'.
Alzheimer's is described as the most common cause of dementia, which is the name for a group of symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain function, according to the NHS website.
In her upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Frizell, 66, recalls the moment Phillips became 'terribly distressed' after not recognising Nathaniel, 26.
In an extract published in The Mirror, Frizell penned: 'One weekend, Nat was home from the Army and making tea in the kitchen while Fiona and I sat watching television.
'She became terribly distressed. 'Who's that man in the kitchen?' she asked me. 'That's Nat', I said gently. 'Our son. He's home for the weekend'.
'She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question.'
He wrote that while Nat would have been 'devastated' had he heard it, he thankfully wasn't present at the time.
The couple have previously spoken about their fear that the illness could be inherited by their kids; Nathaniel and Mackenzie, 23.
When the presenter was first diagnosed, both she and Frizell were deeply concerned that the disease might be genetic and could potentially affect their sons in the future.
However, after undergoing genetic testing, they were relived to learn they weren't in danger of inheriting the disease.
Recently, Frizell recalled how the former GMTV presenter thought he had kidnapped her because of 'delusions' brought on by Alzheimer's disease.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Frizell said: 'She'd love to be here, but she's got anxiety.
'She's got a kind of a secondary problem that causes her to be in pain, a lot, a lot of pain, which adds to the confusion. So it's difficult.
'In the book, there's a picture of her at the end of our road, picking the most recent picture I took, only a few weeks ago, and she's looking great, and she's kind of smiling, and she's got a coat on and what you don't know is, she thought I'd kidnapped her.'
He explained that the condition causes 'all sort of delusions', adding that Phillips would get 'kind of worked up'.
Frizell added: 'She does recognise me most of the times. Doesn't quite know that I'm her husband, but she knows who I am.
'On these occasions, and it's not frequent, but every now and then, she'll want to go home to her parents. I haven't got the heart to say they aren't here.
'What you do is, you say, 'Let's get our coats on, let's get our shoes on', we go up around the block a couple of times and come back in. And she says, 'Oh, I'm home now'.'
Frizell announced in November that he was stepping down as the editor of This Morning, after a decade in the post, saying he was expecting 'family priorities to change' and needed to free up time for them.
He oversaw the long-running morning show as it won numerous awards, including a Bafta and seven National Television Awards.
Phillips is best known for presenting GMTV from 1993 to 2008, before going on to head up a number of documentaries and episodes of Panorama.
She quit TV in 2018 after she started to suffer from anxiety and was also one of the Mirror's longest-serving columnists.
Phillips cared for her parents after both of them were also diagnosed with the condition and has made two documentaries about the disease, one in 2009 called Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's And Me, about her family's history of dementia, and My Family And Alzheimer's in 2010.
She has also served as an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Student overcomes severe spinal injury to graduate with first class degree
A student who suffered a serious spinal cord injury leaving him with chronic pain that threatened his career has graduated from university. Archie Wills-Johnson, 22, was a year into his biology degree when he suffered the life-changing injury while playing American football. During a tackle, he felt a pain down his right arm which became worse when he got home. Scans revealed Mr Wills-Johnson had suffered a herniated disc in his neck. This meant the cartilage between two of his vertebrae had prolapsed, pushing against his spinal cord. 'The doctors told me that without treatment, the excruciating electric shocks would continue and I could end up paralysed if I risked playing contact sport again,' he said. 'It was hard to hear, but I had to face the reality of it.' He underwent emergency surgery and doctors removed the cartilage between his fifth and sixth vertebrae. 'They replaced it with titanium and screwed it in place. It was frightening but I knew I had no choice,' he said. The surgery stopped the progression of the injury but his recovery has been far from easy. Two and a half-years later, the University of Bristol student still suffers chronic nerve pain in his arm. Surgeons told him he could not play American football again, and he has moved into coaching. He returned as coach and vice president of the university's team, Bristol Barracudas. 'I couldn't play but I still loved being involved with the team,' he said. 'I became a coach, and I started the flag football team – a form of non-contact American football to help injured players back in so they could train doing something that's slightly less risky and get their strength back up. 'It wasn't the same as playing but I was able to stay connected to the sport and the community that meant so much to me.' Growing up in Gloucestershire, Mr Wills-Johnson was the first in his family to attend university and he has now graduated with a first class master's degree in biological sciences. 'I've loved my time at Bristol. I felt that I've fully taken part in all the different facets of university life,' he said. 'I want to thank all the people who made my university experience what it was. 'From the academics and coaches who helped me to the friends I made along the way, you've all been amazing. I will always be grateful for my time here. 'Life will always give you setbacks but by showing resilience you can bounce back from the challenges and make the most of your situation. 'From rock bottom, the only way is up.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Employment tribunal brought by nurse over trans doctor to resume
An employment tribunal brought by a nurse against a health board over a transgender doctor using a female changing room is set to resume on Wednesday. Sandie Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at the NHS Fife hospital where they both worked. She took the health board and Dr Upton to tribunal, lodging a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents when they shared a changing room: indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing. Employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee in February and it was then adjourned until July. Ms Peggie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3 2024 after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, the tribunal heard earlier this year. The tribunal resumes after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex', a ruling which has been publicly welcomed by Ms Peggie. The hearing starts again on Wednesday in Dundee and is expected to last 11 days. Last week it emerged NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself in the employment tribunal. The extent of the costs was uncovered following an intervention by Scotland's information commissioner.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aldi issues urgent recall notice for chicken product over contamination concerns: 'Do not consume them'
A large food chain just issued a recall on a chicken product — not because of undercooking or spoilage, but because of plastic. BM Foods Ltd., the manufacturer of Aldi's Chicken Cooked Meat Trimmings, has pulled the product from shelves nationwide after discovering possible plastic contamination, according to GB News. The Food Standards Agency released a warning about the affected chicken, which comes in 400-gram packs with a use-by date of July 4 and batch code 50328453. Aldi urged shoppers not to eat the product and to return it for a full refund instead. "If you have bought any of the above products, do not consume them," the agency stated, per GB News. "The possible presence of pieces of plastic in the products … makes them unsafe to eat." The urgent recall stems from concerns that bits of plastic could pose a choking hazard, but that's not the only reason it's alarming. This isn't the first time plastic has slipped into our food — and it likely won't be the last. Accidental contamination during food production is more common than many people realize. Ingested plastic can damage the digestive system, especially for children and vulnerable individuals, and even small amounts can introduce toxic chemicals into the body. Even more concerning? Researchers are still uncovering the effects of long-term exposure to microplastics on human health. Early findings suggest they could build up in our organs, trigger inflammation, and disrupt hormone function — all while flying under the radar. Our current food system's overreliance on plastic in packaging, processing, and machinery raises the risks of accidents like this one. And while the human health risks are reason enough to sound the alarm, all that plastic also contributes to long-term environmental harm, from clogged landfills to polluted waterways. Recalls like Aldi's highlight just how urgently we need to change course. Researchers and consumers alike are pushing for better oversight and safer manufacturing to help keep plastic out of our food. Some companies are stepping up, finding cleaner ways to produce and package food without relying so much on plastic in the first place. Do you think Americans use too much plastic? Absolutely Only in some states We're getting better We're doing fine Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In the meantime, shoppers can protect themselves by staying alert to recalls and reducing the amount of plastic in their food routines. Opting for whole, unpackaged foods and shopping with reusable containers can cut down your exposure to plastic and lower your household waste. If you're looking for everyday ways to reduce plastic use, check out this simple guide. Each small action and policy shift adds up. And the more we push for healthier, safer food systems, the better the future looks for everyone. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
