‘It makes me very emotional’: Kate Garraway reveals touching last conversation with Fiona Phillips before she announced Alzheimer’s diagnosis

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Kate Garraway was overcome with emotion on Good Morning Britain as she spoke about the last conversation she had with Fiona Phillips. 

Her former GMTV co-presenter Fiona, 62, announced this week that she’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year ago, keeping the diagnosis to herself until now. 

Discussing the shock revelation on Thursday’s show, Kate, 56, revealed the last time they spoke was recently with Fiona checking in on the star’s husband Derek Draper as he continues to battle the aftereffects of Covid. 

Kate recalled: ‘The last conversation I had with her, which was only a few weeks ago, what she was doing was talking to me about Derek – full of love for Derek, very close to Derek – and thinking about me dealing with Derek.

‘Of course, I now think that she must have had in her mind that she would come to a place where Martin and her sons were going to be taking care of her.’

She added: ‘It makes me feel emotional thinking about how that must have been going through her mind and still is.’

Fiona revealed this week she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year after being stricken with months of brain fog, anxiety and forgetfulness. 

The broadcaster – whose parents both died due to the degenerative disease – also revealed she was scammed for thousands by a fraudster after being diagnosed.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Fiona had the money refunded by the bank.

Fiona’s husband, ITV executive husband Martin Frizell, 64, has told how she isn’t as ‘vibrant and interested in things’ as she used to be following her diagnosis.

He said: ‘My only frustration is just I want her to get better,’ he says. ‘I want her to remember things. I want the apathy to go and I want this person back who was vibrant and interested in things and eager to do new things. But she’s not there at the moment.’

She replied: ‘Really? I hadn’t noticed I was being like that.’

He added: ‘But you wouldn’t, because you are in the middle of it.’

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Fiona’s mum Amy was first impacted by the disease in her 50s and passed away in 2006 aged 74, and her dad Neville started to suffer with dementia in his 60s, and he died in 2012.

The star is now taking part in new clinical trials, which she hopes will play some part in the end of the disease.

She said: ‘I am very positive about the trials – but I have to be. I can’t just lie down and accept it. Especially as I have already been through so much of it. I have to do something to help end this bloody awful disease.

‘I want to try to make things better for people in the future who have this disease.

‘And also I think now I have to talk about it openly. I have been reluctant to do it because I think people look at you in a different way if they think you have Alzheimer’s.’

Several stars have wished Fiona well following her diagnosis.

Following the outpouring of online support, a representative for the TV presenter said: ‘She is of course hugely touched by the outpouring of support that she’s received at this extremely difficult time.’

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Firm friends: Fiona and Kate worked alongside each other on GMTV (pictured  with her daughter Darcy and co-host Andrew Castle in 2006) 

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.

This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. 

More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it.

WHAT HAPPENS?

As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. 

That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. 

The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. 

On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years.

EARLY SYMPTOMS:

• Loss of short-term memory
• Disorientation
• Behavioral changes
• Mood swings
• Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call 

LATER SYMPTOMS:

• Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places
• Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior 
• Eventually lose ability to walk
• May have problems eating 
• The majority will eventually need 24-hour care   

 Source: Alzheimer’s Association

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