Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Fiona Phillips' dementia announcement has been timed to save her husband's arse

107 replies

kerrycgeorgie · 05/07/2023 11:20

AIBU or cynical in thinking the timing of this announcement could have been orchestrated by her husband/pr team to divert attention away from his failings over the Schofield scandal and general bad behaviours amongst the IT exec?
To be clear, this isn't to deny the sadness of the situation, it is very sad especially given her age.

OP posts:
JayAlfredPrufrock · 05/07/2023 12:22

She seems to have been of the scene for a long time.

vodkaredbullgirl · 05/07/2023 12:23

Any form of dementia is a horrible and cruel disease.

SlashBeef · 05/07/2023 12:23

Yanbu.

Qbish · 05/07/2023 12:24

Or maybe her Alzheimer's is getting to the stage where it can't be dealt with, without explaining what's happening to her?

MayThe4th · 05/07/2023 12:26

Yabu. And bitchy and spiteful. HTH.

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 05/07/2023 12:27

TheSeaDoesntKnowMyName · 05/07/2023 12:02

Fiona Phillips diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease - not general dementia

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer's is a specific disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

I know technically AD is dementia, only now because i googled , but in case anyone else is wondering the difference I thought I would post here

There isn't a general dementia. If someone has dementia it's got a name - Alzheimer's, Lewy Body, Pick's etc.

WomblingTree86 · 05/07/2023 12:27

Pearlsaminga · 05/07/2023 12:19

I agree with the op, her husband knows fine well that public sympathy will go someway to eclipsing public negativity over the Phillip Schofield issue

Most people don't know who he is or care who he is married to. She is the one who is famous.

Sandinmyknickers · 05/07/2023 12:28

Yes YABU to think that. Why on earth would you need to come on here to have a discussion about whether or not you sound unreasonable saying something spiteful and mean on a public Internet forum about a stranger announcing tragic news...... the answer is clearly yes.

MrsSlocombesCat · 05/07/2023 12:29

It would have been too obvious to announce it during the Schofield saga but I agree with the OP, although I believe that it’s been done to take some pressure off him because it must be a lot to cope with. I am cynical I admit, but life has made me that way. I feel like my childhood memories are now tainted forever because of the bad behaviour of a few individuals in the public eye back then. All the covering up and /or turning a blind eye. So yes, I do believe it has been announced to take the heat off her husband at an appropriate time after the scandal.

Juanmartinez · 05/07/2023 12:31

They've obviously known for a while and maybe her symptoms are becoming more apparent now and so decided to announce it before people notice and start speculating .

Tidsleytiddy · 05/07/2023 12:31

BeverleyMacker · 05/07/2023 11:36

Hmm wondered this myself...

Was just thinking the same…

mikado1 · 05/07/2023 12:32

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 05/07/2023 12:27

There isn't a general dementia. If someone has dementia it's got a name - Alzheimer's, Lewy Body, Pick's etc.

Show quote history

Well no, my family member has got dementia, not alzheimers, someone else might have vascular dementia. In my family member's case it advanced from moderate cognitive decline initially to dementia.

PlatBilledDuckypuss · 05/07/2023 12:32

Sorry, who's her husband? (No, I can't be arsed to google her).

Dianbeatthis · 05/07/2023 12:33

Whether you are suspicious of the timing or not this is a devastating diagnosis for a person, celebrity or otherwise, and I think this thread is in very poor taste.

Juanmartinez · 05/07/2023 12:34

I'm sure Fiona herself would have had a say on when and if she wanted it announced.

Grownyourownway · 05/07/2023 12:35

What a horrible thing to say. If you have any understanding of dementia this wouldn’t even have crossed your mind. I am my mum’s career, she has Alzheimer’s and the news Fiona Philips has been diagnosed with this evil disease at just 61 scares the shit out if me because her parents also suffered from it. It’s a bloody awful disease and I feel so sorry for her and I’m sure her husband is under a great deal of stress right now, regardless of the TM shambles.

TheSeaDoesntKnowMyName · 05/07/2023 12:36

mikado1 · 05/07/2023 12:32

Well no, my family member has got dementia, not alzheimers, someone else might have vascular dementia. In my family member's case it advanced from moderate cognitive decline initially to dementia.

Show quote history

It's like cancer, covers all types of, blood, liver etc

I used "general" as its a general term used to cover many things

She has dementia (umbrella)
She has Alzheimer’s (specific)

PhilNW · 05/07/2023 12:37

Not seen her on TV for a good while so why now?

What makes her version of this illness worthy of publicity when there are 1000's of cases a year.

Nanna50 · 05/07/2023 12:39

While I think it’s devastating for her especially considering she gave up her career to be a career my first thought was that the announcement was to save his arse, mitigating circumstances, sympathy, don’t kick a man when he’s down etc.

Clymene · 05/07/2023 12:39

Google Martin Frizzell. All really negative about This Morning and then BOOM Fiona chooses to make her dx public and he's now been recast as the loving husband.

It's totally a cynical PR move.

MayThe4th · 05/07/2023 12:45

Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

And hope to Christ that you never befall the same fate.

If people want to continue bitching about ITV then by all means start a thread to do so, but to use someone’s devastating diagnosis to start a new platform to bitch on is a disgrace.

I have reported this thread, and I hope it’s removed.

LuvSmallDogs · 05/07/2023 12:45

TheSeaDoesntKnowMyName · 05/07/2023 12:02

Fiona Phillips diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease - not general dementia

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer's is a specific disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

I know technically AD is dementia, only now because i googled , but in case anyone else is wondering the difference I thought I would post here

Ok? I have cancer, and I don't care if people say "LSD has cancer" rather than saying the exact kind, stage and prognosis.

Yeah, the timing is off if they've known for a year. Still feel awful for her though, my Gran's vascular dementia was so painful to her and us. She was gone long before she died.

Clymene · 05/07/2023 12:47

MayThe4th · 05/07/2023 12:45

Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

And hope to Christ that you never befall the same fate.

If people want to continue bitching about ITV then by all means start a thread to do so, but to use someone’s devastating diagnosis to start a new platform to bitch on is a disgrace.

I have reported this thread, and I hope it’s removed.

Why? I feel terrible for her. She's had a devastating diagnosis and I can't imagine how she's coping with it.

No one is saying otherwise. Just that the timing of the announcement is very convenient for his tarnished career. Which it is.

Both these things can be true.

ImsureIam · 05/07/2023 12:47

It doesn’t really matter the reasons why they have let people know now. Fiona has still got Alzheimer’s it will not change the outcome for her or her sons.
If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all

Dinopawus · 05/07/2023 12:48

Huge amount of sympathy for Fiona and sincerely hope that the meds she is taking allow her to enjoy quality of life for as long as possible.

Her Husband, Martin Frizzell, should still be held accountable for PS.