Fiona Phillips' says Alzheimer's symptom led to 'secret split from husband'

Edinburgh Live

06-07-2025

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Behind closed doors, TV presenter Fiona Phillips' seemingly perfect marriage was crumbling. In a candid account for the Mail On Sunday, the 64-year-old revealed how Alzheimer's disease, which had already claimed both her parents, began to secretly ravage her life and relationship with husband Martin Frizell, a former This Morning producer.
Unbeknownst to her at the time, the disease was taking hold, causing symptoms she initially brushed off as menopause. As the condition tightened its grip, Fiona became increasingly distant from Martin and their children, sparking frequent arguments and ultimately leading to a secret separation.
Fiona recalled the moment Martin announced he was leaving their family home, marking the end of their fractured relationship. Reflecting on her past, Fiona wrote: "Was I worried that there might be something sinister lurking beneath the surface? That Alzheimer's could one day be coming for me too?"
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In hindsight, she admitted: "On one level I did think I would get the disease, but there was also another part of me that was in a strange sort of denial about it all. This illness has devastated so much of my life already, surely it's not going to come for me too?' I'd tell friends."
Fiona opened up about her belief that the disease was "at least partly responsible" for her marriage breakdown, although neither she nor Martin recognised it at the time.
(Image: Press Association)
(Image: PA)
(Image:for The Prince of Egypt)
She felt herself becoming "more and more disconnected" from her family, with Martin accusing her of checking out of their relationship, reports the Mirror.
She admitted: "But, if I'm honest, I think he was right. I just didn't seem to have the energy for any of it anymore. I didn't realise quite how seriously Martin felt about it all until one evening he announced he was moving out."
Despite the shock, Fiona didn't think her marriage was completely finished; she felt Martin was simply "trying to shock me into behaving differently".
After a three-week separation, they began texting again and decided to meet at a hotel in Hampshire, hoping to salvage their relationship.
They managed to patch things up, yet Fiona continued to struggle with the same symptoms. In 2023, at 62 years old, she disclosed her diagnosis of Alzheimer's.