Holly Willoughby sent her love to Fiona Phillips on This Morning today following the star’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Former GMTV presenter Fiona received her diagnosis 18 months ago. She has now shared the news publicly. She is undergoing trials for a revolutionary new drug.
Reacting to Fiona’s diagnosis on Wednesday’s This Morning, Holly said Fiona and her husband – the show’s editor – Martin Frizell feel “very overwhelmed with the support they’ve been getting”.
Holly Willoughby on Fiona Phillips’ Alzheimer’s
TV star Holly said: “We are starting with a story that’s very personal to this show actually… it’s personal because Fiona is married to our editor Martin.
I know they feel very overwhelmed with the support they’ve been getting, so thank you for those.
“It’s something that they have been living with for a little while but yesterday was the day to finally come out and speak about it for the first time. It feels extra cruel and sad because Fiona said herself that dementia has decimated her family.”
She added: “It’s tough because you normally think about Alzheimer’s and dementia as something that comes to somebody when they are older, but what is very brave about Fiona talking about this is showing and educating people that this can happen much earlier in your life.”
Holly later said: “Let’s send out love to Fiona and all the family. I know so many kind messages have come through here to the show for them, and I know they feel very overwhelmed with the support they’ve been getting, so thank you for those.”
What has Fiona said about her Alzheimer’s?
Fiona, who has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and BBC’s Watchdog, shared her diagnosis in an interview with the Mirror.
The star sadly lost both of her parents to Alzheimer’s. She told the publication: “This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me. And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it –”
’“”