The husband of former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips has heartbreakingly shared that she sometimes forgets that they are married. The 64-year-old star was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2022, and shared her health news publicly in 2023.

She recalled the devastating toll that the disease took on her marriage in her new memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s. She co-wrote the book with her husband, former editor of ITV’s This Morning, ­Martin Frizell, 66, as he also told his account of how the illness had impacted their family. In a brutal admission, Martin shared that he wished his wife had been diagnosed with cancer instead, as he called Alzheimer’s a “cruel, drawn-out torture.” In the truthful confession, he wrote: “Being brutally honest, I wish Fiona had contracted cancer instead.

"It’s a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance of a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway and an array of ­support and care packages. But that’s not there for Alzheimer’s. Just like there are no funny or inspiring TikTok videos or fashion shoots with smiling, healthy, in-remission survivors."

He continued, noting a lack of support after diagnosis as he penned: "After someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they are pretty much left to their own devices. There is nothing more that can be done and you are left to cope alone."

The book also explored how Fiona now needs a lot of help with everyday tasks, including showering, brushing her teeth and getting dressed.

Martin said his wife is “existing”, unable to remember “anything from 30 seconds ago”, and she “can’t think about or imagine a future”. He previously admitted that at times, she becomes distressed and confused, shouting at him that he is not her husband.

While there is no cure for ­Alzheimer’s, Fiona is currently ­taking drugs to slow the illness’s progression. In an interview with the Woman & Home magazine, she added: “It involves a brand new drug and a placebo. I have no idea which one I am on.

“When I went for my six-month check-up, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed I was in the same place as I was the previous year. I’m hopeful that the drug is holding the disease where it is.”