Fiona Phillips: TV presenter reveals she has Alzheimer’s illness on the age of 62

TV presenter Fiona Phillips has revealed she has been recognized with Alzheimer’s illness.

The 62-year-old star, who’s greatest generally known as the previous host of ITV breakfast programme GMTV, was instructed she had the sickness over a 12 months in the past after experiencing months of mind fog and nervousness.

In an unique interview with the Mirror the place she works as a columnist, she mentioned: “This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me.

“And everywhere in the nation there are individuals of all totally different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it is heartbreaking. I simply hope I can assist discover a remedy which could make issues higher for others sooner or later.”

Phillips mentioned she all the time feared she can be recognized with the situation as a result of her relations had the illness.

She continued: “It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80… But I was still only 61 years old.

“I felt extra indignant than the rest as a result of this illness has already impacted my life in so some ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It simply retains coming again for us.”

Phillips, who took half in Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, mentioned she has anxious individuals will “judge me and put labels” on me, including: “It’s a horrible b****y secret to divulge.”

The mother-of-two’s husband Martin Frizell has mentioned the prognosis got here after she began feeling “crippling anxiety towards the end of 2021”.

“We thought maybe it was the menopause because all the symptoms were there; brain fog, anxiety and confusion,” he mentioned.

“We got in touch with a menopause specialist who took her under their wing and put her on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) but while that improved some symptoms, the brain fog remained.”

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Menopause specialists then recommended Phillips ought to search additional assist to elucidate why she was struggling to recollect issues.

She then had months of cognitive exams earlier than she obtained the prognosis she had dreaded.

Phillips is now a part of a trial for the drug Miridesap which is being carried out by the University College Hospital in London.

It is hoped the drug can gradual or reverse the progress of the illness.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive illness that causes delicate reminiscence loss in its early levels.

In late-stage Alzheimer’s, people lose the power to hold on a dialog and reply to their setting.