Dr Hilary fights back tears as he discusses friend Fiona Phillips’ shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Dr Hilary fought back tears on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain as he discussed his good friend Fiona Phillips’ shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis. 

On Tuesday night, Fiona revealed doctors had diagnosed her with with the disease after she feared her brain fog symptoms were a sign of menopause.

Speaking about his friend – who he worked alongside for 10 years on GMTV – Dr Hilary described  her as a ‘Lovely person, very warm, very welcoming to all of her guests, very knowledgeable, as you say, mischievous and fun.’ 

The 70-year-old GP added: ‘My heart goes out to her, sending her all my love.

‘I’m so glad she’s spoken out about this to raise awareness to help other people.’ 

Kind words: Dr Hilary fought back tears on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain as he discussed his good friend Fiona Phillips’ shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Discussing the medical side of her treatment, he explained: ‘She’s on the trial, miridesap, is the drug that she’s taking which is designed to reduce the amount of amyloid protein which clogs up the nerve cells and stops the neurotransmitters from enabling brain cells to communicate with one another.’ 

‘She doesn’t know whether she’s on the active drug or a placebo, it’s a double-blinded study at UCH (University College Hospital), however, it will help in the future, to determine which drugs they’re trialling will help to halt or even reverse the condition.’

Fiona and her husband admitted they were left in ‘total shock’ when the doctors diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s after she began struggling with ‘crippling anxiety’, ‘confusion’ and ‘brain fog’ at the end of 2021. 

Due to the nature of her symptoms, the former GMTV host saw a menopause specialist and underwent hormone replacement therapy.

Some of her symptoms improved, but the brain fog remained. She was examined by other specialists, spent months completing cognitive tests and ultimately received her dreaded diagnosis last year which was confirmed by a spinal tap test.

‘It was the shock.. Total shock,’ she said of the moment she and her husband, TV’s This Morning editor Martin Frizell, were told of the diagnosis.

‘I just felt sick. We both sat in silence. There was no funny line to make this go away,’ Martin, 64, recalled. ‘The doctor said he’d leave us in the room alone for a bit to digest it all. We just looked at each other and said: ‘S**t. What are we going to do?’

The couple then went for a drink at a nearby bar, where they are now regulars, and were faced with the task of ‘trying to live our life as normal for now’. 

It is understood that Fiona is undergoing a potentially revolutionary trial with a new drug which is hoped will slow or even reverse the illness for millions of people.

She is currently being supported by her husband, whom she married in 1997. They are parents to Nat, 24, and Mackenzie, 21. Until now, the couple had not told their children directly that their mother has Alzheimer’s.

Sad news: On Tuesday night, Fiona revealed doctors had diagnosed her with with the disease after she feared her brain fog symptoms were a sign of menopause (pictured in 2008)

Fiona told The Mirror on Tuesday that she had received the news of the devastating dementia disease, which killed both her parents, around a year ago, having suffered from months of brain fog and anxiety.

The former GMTV host said the diagnosis was ‘heartbreaking’ and a ‘b****y horrible’ secret to share. 

Mr Frizell added: ‘Tragically Fiona’s family has been riddled with it [Alzheimer’s].’

The family had initially thought Ms Phillips’ symptoms may have been related to the menopause, which Dementia UK says is not unusual as dementia and Alzheimer’s share symptoms with the menopause and perimenopause.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms, in some women, may develop at the same time as menopause which the charity says ‘can bring additional challenges when it comes to seeking a diagnosis’.

Fiona began her journalistic career working as a reporter for local radio stations such as Radio Mercury un Sussex and County Sound in Surrey.

Her big break came when she moved to GMTV as an entertainment correspondent in 1993, before being promoted to be their LA correspondent in December the same year.

Support: Fiona is currently being supported by her husband Martin Frizell, whom she married in 1997. They are parents to Nat, 24, and Mackenzie, 21

She then fronted the breakfast show from 1997 to 2008, being the main anchor every Monday to Wednesday.

The broadcaster announced in 2008 she would be leaving the show for family reasons, presenting her last show in December. 

This followed the death of her mother, and came after her father had also been diagnosed with the disease. 

After her father’s death, the journalist revealed she was left ‘angry’ at his care, and even referred to it as ‘manslaughter’. His rapid deterioration led her to question whether the drugs cost him years of his life.