Former GMTV star Fiona Phillips has been bravely facing Alzheimer's, and now her husband, Martin Frizell, is stepping away from his role as editor of This Morning to dedicate more time to "family matters."
After a decade with ITV, Martin will depart in Spring 2025. He initially joined the network in 2014, taking charge of Loose Women before transitioning to This Morning.
Fiona went public with her Alzheimer's diagnosis aged 62 last year, having received treatment to decelerate the disease's progression, which also affected her parents. With the unwavering support of Martin and their sons, she continues to navigate through this challenging period.
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The couple previously opened up to The Mirror about coping with Fiona's condition. Martin said: "My only frustration is just I want her to get better. I want her to remember things. I want the apathy to go and I want this person back who was vibrant and interested in things and eager to do new things... But she's not there at the moment."
Fiona, touched and somewhat bewildered, replied, "Really? I hadn't noticed I was being like that.", reports the Mirror.
To which Martin clarified, "But you wouldn't because you are in the middle of it."
The conversation took a playful turn as Fiona spoke of her independence, "I try not to rely on him too much," and with a chuckle, Martin confessed, "I have absolutely ramped it up. Before, I didn't have to worry about Fiona, and now I do... What is she doing all day while I'm at work? What is she eating? " To which Fiona jokingly snapped back, "As if I wouldn't be fed. And what are you worried about? That I'm out rampaging around the place! ".
Despite the hurdles they face, Fiona's self-reliant spirit shines through, even though she sometimes forgets how much more dependent she has become on Martin and those around her. Reflecting on their new reality, Martin observed: "I think possibly the two worst traits you could have if you are going to get this disease are being stubborn and being independent."
He pointed out the difficulties, saying: "I'll say, 'Fiona, you've got to do this.' She'll say, 'I don't want to.' And that makes it hard for her, because she has to rely on other people."
Jokingly brushing off the comments Fiona asked, "Like when? " Martin replied by urging the importance of support from others, "You're having to be more reliant on me, and that's why it will be good to widen the group who know what is happening so there will be other people you can rely on."
After being diagnosed last year, Fiona said: "I'm determined to carry on living my best life. I am not my diagnosis. I am still me."
She also pondered over whether her long years of early rises for her job at GMTV might have played a part in her getting the diagnosis sooner than she might have. Speaking candidly, she revealed, "Getting my diagnosis was devastating".
Martin has made the heartfelt decision to leave his high-pressure job, with family at the centre of his choice. He shared: "Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them. I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it's an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won't be able to do both."
Looking back on his successful career, Martin reflected: "It's been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we've turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that's around 20,000 items and whilst the gongs are always nice. I'm most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and 'how - to' items. This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist."
His exit comes on the heels of the controversy surrounding Phillip Schofield earlier this year, resulting in a dip in This Morning's viewership and leading to an overhaul that saw Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard taking over as hosts.
Despite these changes, ratings have continued to wane.
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