Fiona Phillips says people have told her that sharing her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and the experience of the disease within her family has made them feel “less alone”.
The British broadcaster (62) said she has received “incredible kindness” from members of the public since revealing her diagnosis earlier this week in the Daily Mirror.
“People have been so kind to me,” she told the newspaper.
“Because I was worried about sharing the news (that) I have this awful disease. I was anxious people would be staring or whispering about me or would just write me off as a batty old woman.
“But there has been incredible kindness.”
Phillips also recently shared that doctors had told her that though the condition was not hereditary, she is predisposed to it due to her family history – her parents, grandparents and uncle have all had the illness.
Her mother Amy was first affected by Alzheimer’s in her 50s and died in 2006, aged 74, while her father got it before his wife died.
The former GMTV presenter told the Mirror: “So many people have told me about how Alzheimer’s has hit their families, as it has attacked mine, and somehow it just makes them feel a little bit less alone.”
Phillips’ husband, This Morning editor Martin Frizell, previously said he has “absolutely” ramped up his efforts to take care of her since she was diagnosed.
Phillips was recently scammed by a phone fraudster who siphoned thousands of pounds out of her bank account which, although refunded, showed her increased vulnerability.
Frizell told the paper: “I didn’t ever have to worry about Fiona before, and now I do. What is she doing all day while I’m at work? What is she doing in the evening if I’m out? What has she eaten?”
Since her diagnosis Phillips has become involved in clinical trials which it is hoped will revolutionise treatments for people with Alzheimer’s.
She now receives three daily drug injections as part of the trials at University College Hospital in London, saying she is “very positive” about them.
“I want to try to make things better for people in the future. I now have to talk about it openly,” she said.
“I have been reluctant as I think people look at you in a different way if they think you have Alzheimer’s.
“Attitudes change. People used to refer to cancer as The Big C in hushed tones but that has gone – maybe it can be the same for Alzheimer’s.”
Since sharing her diagnosis, Phillips has received messages of support from fans, politicians and other famous faces including Holly Willoughby, Piers Morgan, Kate Garroway, Lorraine Kelly and Susanna Reid.
Phillips anchored GMTV for more than a decade and competed on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2005.
In the UK, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is the name for a group of symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain function, according to the NHS website.
Phillips has been a long campaigner for Alzheimer’s awareness and in 2012 took part in a Department of Health and Social Care campaign to encourage families to have a difficult conversation with their loved ones about the condition and seek help.
Her 2009 Channel 4 documentary Dispatches: Mum, Dad, Alzheimer’s And Me also gave an insight into her acting as a carer for her family.
