Martin Frizell, the husband of beloved TV presenter Fiona Phillips, has made the emotional decision to step away from his career to care for his wife as she battles Alzheimer’s disease.
Fiona, 64, was diagnosed last year, and since then, Martin has become her full-time caregiver. The decision didn’t come lightly — Martin had built a successful career, but his priorities shifted completely when his wife’s condition worsened.
“She’s always been there for me — now it’s my turn to be there for her,” he said, holding back tears as he spoke about the woman he’s shared decades of life and love with.
Martin shared the daily challenges of watching someone you love change before your eyes, but also emphasized the deep bond they’ve maintained through it all. His step back from work has allowed him to be by Fiona’s side for every step of this journey, offering comfort, presence, and unwavering devotion.
Their story has touched many hearts, a powerful reminder of how love can endure even the most painful chapters. It is a story of selfless sacrifice, quiet courage, and a husband’s promise to never let go — even when life becomes unrecognizable.
Martin Frizell stepped down as editor of the daytime programme back in February to take care of his wife Fiona Phillips, who has Alzheimer’s.
Martin had overseen the show’s production for the last decade and at the end of his final episode, he sat on the sofa with Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond.
In a moving segment, the co-presenters told Frizzell how much he meant to them and how much they valued his impact on their careers.
An emotional Hammond said: ‘He’s the one that took a chance on us, transforming mine and Josie’s careers.
‘It’s an incredible opportunity and we just want to say thank you very much. We love you’.
The This Morning presenter continued: ‘On behalf of the team on This Morning we think you are incredible and we are so sad to see you go’.
Gibson echoed Hammond’s words, adding that Frizell believed in her when she didn’t even believe in herself.
‘I just want to say, thank you so much because you believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself and you grew me as a presenter and I just can’t thank you enough’.
Reacting to the pair’s kind words, Frizell replied: ‘If you were rubbish, you wouldn’t be on telly. You’re very good. It has been a great ride and a fantastic time’.
His departure from the show’s production team had been announced earlier on during the broadcast by Gibson and came off the back of his own announcement last November that he would soon be stepping down for personal reasons.
Frizell’s wife Fiona Phillips had received a heartbreaking Alzheimer’s diagnosis back in 2022, with the This Morning boss taking the decision to quit the show in order to spend more time with her.
‘Next year I’m expecting my family priorities to change, so I need to free up time for them’, the 66-year-old said back in November.
‘I love my team at This Morning and will miss them and the thrill of live telly, but it’s an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment, and I won’t be able to do both.
‘It’s been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we’ve turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that’s around 20,000 items.
‘Whilst the gongs are always nice, I’m most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti-suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and ‘how-to’ items.
‘This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist’.
