Fiona Phillips, 62, diagnosed with Alzheimer's: 'It's ravaged my family'
The former GMTV presenter has revealed she is taking part in trials for a new drug that could potentially slow or reverse the disease's effects.
Former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips has revealed she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
The broadcaster – who is 62 – explained she was diagnosed with the illness 18 months ago and is currently undergoing trials for a new drug that could potentially slow or reverse its effects.
Speaking to The Mirror, Phillips said that Alzheimer's has "ravaged my family and now it has come for me".
She added: "All over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it’s heartbreaking. I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future.”
Phillips continued that she "felt more angry than anything else" – in part because so many of her family members, including her mother and father, had already lived with the illness.
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But she added that she had hopes that sharing her own experiences would help break the stigma around the condition, claiming that "the public thinks of old people, bending over a stick, talking to themselves.
"But I’m still here, getting out and about, meeting friends for coffee, going for dinner with Martin [Frizell, her husband] and walking every day.”
Phillips also revealed that she is partaking in trials for a drug called Miridesap, which is being researched by University College London Hospitals Trust and is currently in its third year of trials.
"Even if it isn’t helping me, these tests will be helping other people in the future so I just have to keep going,” she said.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.