Fiona Phillips was scammed for thousands by a fraudster after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Fiona Phillips was scammed for thousands by a fraudster after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The 62-year-old broadcaster - whose parents both died due to the degenerative disease - recently had money siphoned out of her bank account by an evil scammer.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Fiona had the money refunded by the bank.
It comes as the former GMTV presenter revealed this week she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year after being stricken with months of brain fog, anxiety and forgetfulness.
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."
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, including her former 'GMTV' co-star Lorraine Kelly, 63.
On Wednesday's (05.07.23) episode of 'Lorraine', she described the news as "blinking sad", while praising Fiona for being "amazing and really optimistic as she always would be".
'Good Morning Britain' presenting pair Susanna Reid and Ed Balls also paid tribute to the broadcaster earlier that the morning.
Susanna described her as "an incredible advocate" for families affected by the illness.
Ed - whose mother suffered with the disease for over two decades - added: "If you have a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it’s always on your mind…
"Could it be hereditary? Could it be me? Now it’s a reality she’s dealing with and doing it so very bravely."
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