Peter Andre opens up about on his 'guilt' over mum's devastating Alzheimer's battle
Peter Andre has opened up about the guilt he feels as his mother Thea, who lives in Australia, continues her battle with Alzheimer's disease. The dad of five shared his emotions after former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips released a candid and heartbreaking account of her own experiences resulting from the neurological disease.
Peter's mum Thea was diagnosed with both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's - progressive neurological conditions that impact brain function as well as physical movement in the body. Writing in his weekly OK! column, the Mysterious Girl singer revealed that he and his siblings felt "guilt and worry" as they watched their beloved mum's health decline.
He wrote: "I read about Fiona Phillips' experience of Alzheimer's and the strain it has taken on not just her but her family." Before he continued: "It's absolutely heartbreaking. With a disease like Alzheimer's it's so hard, number one, for the person affected, but it's also heartbreaking for those who love and care for them."
Fiona, 64, shared a deeply personal article last week, shedding light on her daily life with the condition and the profound impact it has had not only on her but also on those closest to her.
In a joint memoir co-written with her husband of 28 years, Martin Frizell, Fiona shared that she was diagnosed with the progressive illness in 2022. She initially believed her brain fog and mood swings were related to menopause, the Mirror reports.
Her husband Martin, who was the boss at ITV's This Morning for a decade until he stepped down from the role in February to take care of Fiona, opened up on the extent to which the disease has impacted Fiona's cognitive processes. On difficult days, he revealed, her confusion leads her to ask to see her parents, unaware they have sadly already passed away.
In excerpts from their memoir published in the Daily Mail, he stated: "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..."
Peter shared that he's all too familiar with the impact Alzheimer's takes on loved ones, expressing his deep empathy for Fiona and Martin.
"With my mum, I see the decline happening, and I know the feelings of guilt and worry that we, her loved ones, feel. It is so painful for everyone and my heart goes out to Fiona, her husband Martin and her boys," he stated.
Thea and Peter's father, Savvas, live on Australia's Gold Coast, and he makes regular trips to visit them. During a visit earlier this year in January, Pete admitted that being there often stirs up a mix of emotions.
He revealed: "Being with my mum and dad in Australia was incredible, but understandably also very emotional. I went with my brother, Michael, and we got to spend quality time with my sister as well."
"The hardest bit for me is leaving them. Both Mum and Dad are on the decline, unfortunately, especially my mum."
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Daily Mirror
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- Daily Mirror
Fiona Phillips knew 'clock was ticking' for Alzheimer's after parents' tragic death
In 2023, TV presenter Fiona Phillips announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's the year before at the age of 61. Fiona Phillips, who is best known for hosting ITV's GMTV breakfast programme, announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2022. After suffering from brain fog and a sense of anxiety, the 64-year-old initially put her symptoms down to the menopause before receiving her diagnosis. However, the former presenter was aware that it was highly possible that she too could get the disease after both of her parents suffered from it. Her mother, Amy, developed the early onset of the condition at the age of 53. Sadly, in 2006, she died at the age of 74. Tragically, Fiona's father Phil died six years later at the age of 76 after he was diagnosed with the condition in his early 60s. During Tuesday's instalment of Lorraine, her close friend Alison Phillips detailed the heartbreaking response Fiona had after her parents died. She commented: "It's so sad, I remember seeing shortly after her father had died of Alzheimer's. Her mother had died of Alzheimer's first. "She said to me that day, 'The clock is ticking'. She thought there was an inevitability of her getting it. So, she's had that whole period of her life waiting for this. "Then, it did indeed happen. The very worst of things that could happen did happen. It's horribly unfair." In an update, Alison shared that Fiona, who was once so confident, no longer ventures outside much. She commented: "She (Fiona) travelled all over the world, lived in LA. But, her life with Alzheimer's has sort of shrunk, so that now she doesn't really like going out. That's what is so cruel about the whole thing. In the past, Fiona has spoken about the disease in her family as she told The Mirror 18 months after being diagnosed: "I just 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." Over the past year, Fiona has been writing her memoir to help others going through the same ordeal feel less alone with the help of Ashley.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Fiona Phillips ‘distressed' after failing to recognise her own son in heartbreaking Alzheimer's battle, reveals husband
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Daily Mail
14 hours ago
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Fiona Phillips' husband reveals devastating moment star, 64, 'didn't recognise their son' amid her battle with Alzheimer's in latest heartbreaking health update
Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell has recalled the devastating moment the TV star failed to recognise their son amid her battle with Alzheimer's. The former GMTV host, 64, who is mother to Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23, was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder in 2022 at the age of just 61. In Fiona's upcoming memoir Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Martin shared how the broadcaster became 'terribly distressed' when she could not recognise their eldest son Nat. In an extract published in The Mirror he 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'. Martin said that Nat would have been 'devastated' to hear his mother being unable to recognise him, but thankfully he did not. It comes after Martin, 66, and Fiona detailed the worrying time they feared their sons could inherit Alzheimer's. When the couple first learned of her diagnosis, they were concerned if the disease was genetic and would strike their sons. After a genetic test, Fiona and Martin were relieved to discover their boys weren't in danger of inheriting the disease. In the Mail's exclusive extract from her upcoming memoir, Martin said: 'We did tackle one fear and talked to Fiona's consultant about whether she had inherited the illness from her parents. 'She then had a genetic test, because if she carried the gene for Alzheimer's there was a danger the boys would have it, too, which in turn might mean them thinking about IVF if they wanted children, in order to break the genetic line. 'Thankfully, the test was negative.' He added: 'That meant she didn't carry the gene so the boys wouldn't either. But the doctor said she was clearly predisposed to Alzheimer's. 'I didn't entirely understand what he meant. How could someone be 'predisposed' to a particular disease if there wasn't something in their genetic make-up that determined it?'. 'But he assured me this was the case. While Fiona's chances of getting the disease had always been a lot higher, that didn't mean she would pass it on to her children. 'A few months later we told the boys what was happening. By then, she was even more withdrawn and forgetful and they knew she'd had a series of hospital appointments. 'Rather than the terrible news landing on them like a bomb, I'd gradually shared with them the sense that something was very wrong. 'When the moment came and I used the dreaded 'Alzheimer's' word, I think they were prepared for it – however awful that news was. 'They were just heartbroken for their mum, though she didn't want to make a big fuss about it all. 'She was able to dismiss it from her mind and so the conversation quickly moved on. It may sound strange, but that is how it was.' Elsewhere in the memoir, Martin gave a heartbreaking confession on his wife's condition. Martin emotionally admitted the family are 'slowing saying goodbye to the woman they love', who soon will be 'wiped away' by the disease. Martin explained how he and their sons are 'enduring a living grief' as they watch the 'glittering star' deteriorate through time. 'Bit by bit, it [Alzheimer's] takes everything. Through time, even the most glamorous, glittering star – such as Fiona was – will be wiped away', he wrote. He added: 'Sorting the bank accounts, utility direct debits, hospital appointments, clothes, washing, parking permits, shopping, cooking, tidying the house – in fact, all the stuff I took for granted because Fiona dealt with it (as well as her own career) – became my responsibilities, along with a seven-day-a-week job. 'It was knackering. There were times I felt drained, physically and emotionally. 'On top of the stress, the boys and I are enduring a kind of living grief – a slow goodbye to the woman we love.' In the memoir, the pair - who wed in 1997 and share two children - revealed their marriage was 'falling apart' as a result of Fiona's then undiagnosed battle with the disease. Fiona explained: 'My marriage was coming under increasing strain. 'I'm sure the disease was at least partly responsible, but at the time neither of us could see it. I just became more and more disconnected from Martin and the boys. '"You've totally zoned out of our family and our marriage," he would say to me. "Don't be so bloody ridiculous!" I'd yell back. 'But, if I'm honest, I think he was right. I just didn't seem to have the energy for any of it any more. 'I didn't realise quite how seriously Martin felt about it all until one evening he announced he was moving out. '"Stop being so ridiculous!'" I yelled. "I'm just worn out. I'm tired – of everything." '"That's what you've been saying for years,'" he replied. "Maybe this – our marriage – is what's making you so tired."' Fiona first met Martin when she was working on GMTV as a presenter and he was its chief correspondent. He later popped the question after they had been dating for just four weeks, before they went to Las Vegas to tie the knot in 1997. Last year, he revealed he was stepping down as editor of ITV's This Morning after 10 years in charge, in order to be 'around much more' for his wife during her Alzheimer's battle. 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... Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips will be published on July 17. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
