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Former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips is now in the advanced stages of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She was first diagnosed with the condition in 2022 and went public the following year. Former This Morning boss, Martin Frizell, revealed his wife has been suffering with terrible pain since her diagnosis and they have visited several specialists. He has since explained Fiona's condition has deteriorated since the release of her book, Remember When, released in July. In an updated chapter, Martin opened up about the heartbreaking moment the Alzheimer's fog lifted briefly and her memory returned following a letter from Kate McCann, whose daughter Madeleine McCann was abducted in Portugal in 2007.

Fiona, 65, had been in constant pain but despite the numerous taxi journeys for scans and procedures, consultants had still failed to diagnose what was wrong. It was then suggested they visit a neuropsychiatrist. It was explained that the combination of brain disease and pain was often triggered by anxiety and a major memory episode where her stressed-out brain tried to find comfort in past events. Martin, 67, put this down to an operation his wife had months earlier, and was told rest and relaxation his what Fiona requires most.

"Out of the blue I received a message for Fiona... from Kate McCann [the mother of Madeleine McCann, who was abducted in Portugal in 2007]," he wrote, according to The Daily Mail.

Fiona had met the McCanns several times and was the first to announce Madeleine's disappearance on GMTV.

He continued: "She remembered that she was a warm, bubbly and capable lady. Kate was sure those attributes must have stood Fiona in good stead.

"I didn't realise until I read the letter that Kate McCann, herself a doctor, had spent almost ten years in [NHS] Memory Services, largely drawn to it because of her dad, who also had dementia."

When Martin read Fiona the "very long letter" Kate had written, she remembered Madeleine and her eyes welled up.

For a brief moment the Alzheimer's fog lifted and the memory surfaced, but just as quickly the clouds returned and the moment gone.

Martin revealed Fiona is often too frightened to leave the house and remains her primary carer, with the help of the couple's two sons.

He now washes her hair because she can't remember how and also needs help brushing her teeth before going to bed and sleeps for most of the day.

Martin, who is at the helm of a true-crime podcast This Much Is True, also decided to not release any up to date photos of Fiona.

While the couple did briefly separate during the early stages of her diagnosis, they soon came to the realisation thye could not be without each other and he has remained his wife's support system ever since.

He added, "It breaks my heart that my strong independent wife has become so vulnerable".

She publicly announced her diagnosis in July 2023 after experiencing symptoms such as brain fog and anxiety, which she initially thought were related to the menopause.

Fiona was a carer to both her parents who were also diagnosed with Alzheimer's and has been a long-term campaigner and ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society.

For confidential advice, call Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456