SHE is a TV darling beloved by millions of people, while he is a morning show boss at the helm of one of the most popular programs on ITV.

Together, Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell, who have been married since 1997, have had one of the most low-profile, yet enduring unions in showbiz.

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Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell got married in 1997 when they both worked on ITV’s then-breakfast show GMTVCredit: PA:Press Association

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Martin says he has now had to step up his husband duties after Fiona’s heartbreaking diagnosisCredit: Rex
Now, the former GMTV host is being supported by her loving family after revealing she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 62.

Speaking to the Mirror, Fiona said: “This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me. And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it’s heartbreaking.

“I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future.”

Fiona explained how the disease impacted her parents, Neville and Amy, her grandparents, and her uncle – although she knew she might be at risk, she thought she would be diagnosed at 80.

Now, her doting husband Martin, 64 – who is the boss of This Morning – has had to go above and beyond to help take care of the star, who got the devastating news 18 months ago.

He revealed: “Before I didn’t ever have to worry about Fiona and now I do.

“‘What is she doing all day while I’m at work? What is she doing in the evening if I’m out? what has she eaten?’”

Here we look at the couple’s incredible love story – including how Fiona never wanted to be married and the TV scandal he has had to deal with alongside her diagnosis.

Proposal after four weeks

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Martin popped the question after just four weeks of datingCredit: Rex
The couple first met when Fiona was working on ITV’s former morning show GMTV as a presenter.

She joined the show in 1993 as an entertainment correspondent before working her way up to become a main anchor. When they started dating, Martin was working as the chief correspondent.

Although Fiona was initially against getting hitched, Martin popped the question after just four weeks of dating.

She joked to the Daily Mail: “Why would I want to do that? My dad always joked, ‘Don’t do what I’ve done, get married and have children.’ He was a free spirit and I’m very like him.”

They secretly went to Las Vegas to tie the knot. Speaking about the ceremony, she said: “We stayed at Caesar’s Palace with two bathrooms, a steam-room, jacuzzi, the works. It was all so tacky, but that’s the fun of it.

“Vegas is not the most romantic place in the world to marry. But I’d always said I didn’t want a traditional white wedding because I hate being the centre of attention. So we decided to keep the moment just for us.”

She added: “We got married at 8.30 at night because we wanted plenty of time to have a meal and – you know – get drunk!

“We didn’t take special clothes. I was dressed in a little black number Martin bought and said I’d never wear. We were laughing all the way through, except for the vows. We both take those seriously.”

In a separate interview, she said: “I just don’t believe in being tied legally to someone. I remember filling in the details for the licence and thinking I could have put that I’m marrying Mickey Mouse or Eamonn Holmes and no one would have been the wiser… The fact is, we’re still together.”

Family first

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The couple have two sons together, Nathaniel and MackenzieCredit: Rex

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Fiona said her GMTV departure in 2008 allowed her to spend more time with her familyCredit: Rex
The couple have two kids together, Nathaniel, 24, and Mackenzie, 21 – one of them has his surname, while the other has hers.

Fiona has described her boys as “the loves of my life” and admitted it could be tough juggling family life and a high-profile job.

She said: “Some women have criticised me for saying that you can’t have it all, but you really can’t. Every time I open a crowded cupboard in our minimalist house I think, ‘God, is no one else going to sort this out?’ It’s all down to me.

“It’s a little thing but on top of the job, visiting my sick father, doing the homework, getting the games kit ready, I really do feel that in life you can’t have it all.”

Fiona eventually quit GMTV in 2008. Explaining her decision she said: “‘I love the job but I’ve got other responsibilities – the children, a home life, and an elderly dad who needs me.”

She also hinted that the show’s early 4am starts took a toll on her marriage.

“I’m getting my enthusiasm for life – and my marriage – back. I’m a naturally optimistic person, but being tired makes you see the dark side of everything,” she said.

Hid diagnosis

Earlier this week, she revealed how she hid her diagnosis from her kids for fear they would be “embarrassed” or treat her “differently”.

She said: “I just didn’t want to make a big thing out of it where we all sit down as a family and announce we’ve got something to tell them.

“And I was worried they might be embarrassed in front of their friends or treat me in a different way. And it’s not like I’m doing anything out of character.”

She also confirmed her sons have now been tested to determine whether they have inherited the disease.

This week, Martin was forced to shut down claims that This Morning had a toxic culture and said he was looking forward to the outcome of an external review in the wake of Phillip Schofield affair scandal.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “There’s lots of questions to answer but there’s a KC appointed for an external review, and anything we may say now could be prejudicial, so I’d rather not.

“There will be lots of time once it’s all over to go through who did what, when, why, but I’d rather not just now.”

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This Morning boss Martin spoke out this week in the wake of the Phillip Schofield affair scandalCredit: Enterprise

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Fiona and Martin have been married for 26 years after getting hitched in an ‘unromantic’ Las Vegas weddingCredit: Getty