Fiona Phillips and This Morning editor Martin Frizell have been “very overwhelmed” by public support, Holly Willoughby has revealed.
The This Morning host said the pair were hugely grateful for the outpouring of kind messages. Phillips, a former GMTV presenter, recently revealed her diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease in an interview with the Daily Mirror. Frizell, himself a former GMTV editor, shared that he felt "sick" upon hearing the news and sadly noted that Alzheimer's has affected multiple members of Phillips' family.
Willoughby, speaking on This Morning, described the situation as "extra cruel and sad" due to the fact that Phillips' mother, father, grandparents, and uncle have all suffered from the disease. She said: "Let's send our love to Fiona, and I know that so many kind messages have come through the show for them, and I know they feel very overwhelmed with the support they've been getting so thank you."
In addition to public support, Phillips has received messages from various Labour MPs, including Harriet Harman, Yvette Cooper, and Jess Phillips. Former Daily Mirror editor Kevin Maguire, as well as former GMTV presenters Eamonn Holmes and Lorraine Kelly, have also expressed their thoughts and well wishes for Phillips and her family during this difficult time.
During a segment on This Morning, presenter Vanessa Feltz spoke highly of Phillips, describing her as an "incredibly bright, amazingly quick thinking, highly intelligent, and very intuitive" person. Feltz, who has known Phillips for over 30 years, commended her for bravely sharing her story, stating that it will provide support and information to many families going through similar experiences. Feltz emphasised the need for increased funding and research to assist those impacted by Alzheimer's, expressing her heartfelt sympathy for Phillips.
On GB News, co-host Eamonn Holmes, who had previously worked alongside Phillips on GMTV, acknowledged that Phillips had always feared developing the disease due to her family history. He noted that many individuals in similar situations would be grappling with the fear of whether they too would be affected. He said: said: “She always did fear that because her mother had it and her father had it, she always did fear that it would come after her and sadly that has been the case.”
He also said: “I think of my own wife… her father died, and her mother has to live with it at the moment and anybody who’s in that situation will be thinking, is it coming to me next? We wish Fiona all the best.”
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