Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell's health fears for sons after star's diagnosis

Fiona Phillips and her husband Martin Frizell shared their fears for their sons Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23, after the TV star wasdiagnosed with Alzheimer's. The former GMTV host, 64, initially thought she was having menopause symptoms when she first started experiencing "brain fog and anxiety".

The mum-of-two went onto be diagnosed with the same devastating condition her parents suffered from, with the star caring for them both. Fiona was only 61 when she was diagnosed with the condition. When Fiona and her husband Martin, 66, first learned of the diagnosis, they worried whether it was genetic and could affect their sons.

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They quickly did a genetic test and were relieved to find out Nathaniel and Mackenzie weren't in danger of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Writing in her upcoming memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, Martin wrote: "We did tackle one fear and talked to Fiona’s consultant about whether she had inherited the illness from her parents.

"She then had a genetic test, because if she carried the gene for Alzheimer’s, there was a danger the boys would have it, too, which in turn might mean them thinking about IVF if they wanted children, in order to break the genetic line."

He added in an excerpt shared with MailOnline: "Thankfully, the test was negative. That meant she didn’t carry the gene so the boys wouldn’t either."

Martin, who spent ten years at the helm of ITV This Morning, stepped down from his position in February to care for Fiona, taking on many tasks he had once taken for granted.

The couple employ a trained carer to help too, with the 66-year-old explaining that on bad, confused days his wife demands to see her parents, who have sadly passed away.

Martin and Fiona married in 1997 and went on to have sons Nat and Mackenzie. With her Alzheimer's disease progressing, Martin heartbreakingly shared that his wife sometimes forgets they are married, while Fiona told how much she was struggling to accept the diagnosis in the beginning.

He revealed that while Fiona can dress herself, she sometimes doesn't do it "correctly" and puts things on the wrong way round. He also revealed his wife becomes very fond of one piece of clothing and will want to wear it "over and over again."

Fiona is best known for presenting ITV breakfast programme GMTV Today. The star began her career in local radio and was also a Daily Mirror columnist and Loose Women panellist.

And while the presenter feels disconnected from her family as her illness progresses, her husband said he can get lonely.

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