Fiona Phillips, 62, makes a rare appearance following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis as she supports Kate Garraway at the funeral of her husband Derek Draper
Fiona Phillips made a rare public appearance after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as she supported her GMTV colleague Kate Garraway at her husband Derek Draper’s funeral.
The former breakfast TV presenter, 62, announced her diagnosis in July and was joined by her husband, This Morning editor Martin Frizell.
Family and friends gathered at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill for a memorial service in honor of Kate’s late husband Derek, following his death at the age of 56.
Derek was one of the first in Britain to become seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit when the country went into lockdown in March 2020.
The star, who is married to This Morning editor Martin Frizell, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022 but did not publicly share her diagnosis until 2022.
Fiona Phillips made a rare public appearance after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as she supported her GMTV colleague Kate Garraway at her husband Derek Draper’s funeral
She has since revealed that he has been on a drug trial in an attempt to slow the symptoms, something she says seems to be working for her.
In an interview with Women&Home magazine, Fiona said: ‘I’m taking part in a clinical trial and the signs are positive.
‘I’m taking part in a revolutionary drug trial trying to find a cure. It involves a brand new drug and a placebo, and I have no idea which one I’m taking.
‘When I went for my six-month check-up in October, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed I was in the same place as the year before.
‘I am hopeful that the medicine will keep the disease there. I would rather not have to be on the test, but I am very grateful that I am.
‘There are risks, including bleeding in the brain, so I’m a guinea pig, but there is a real chance it could help.’
Fiona, who has two sons with Mark, stunned her millions of fans earlier this year when she revealed that, like both her parents, she had Alzheimer’s disease.
Still, the star says she ‘pretends’ she doesn’t have the disease so she can continue to enjoy her life.
She still meets friends for coffee and goes for walks, although she admits that Mark, her husband of 26 years, worries about her when he is at work.