02 February 2024 , 12:46
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Fiona Phillips made a rare public appearance at Derek Draper's funeral today, months after she went public with her Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Fiona, a presenter on the breakfast show GMTV from 1993 to 2008, bravely shared her health update to the Mirror in July last year a year after she was diagnosed. Both of her parents died of the disease and Fiona said she is taking part in clinical trials for a drug to treat the degenerative disease in hopes of slowing it down.
The broadcaster, 63, has been staying out of the spotlight for a while but made a rare public appearance to support her friend Kate Garraway for Derek's funeral. Derek, who died in early January after suffering many complications from Covid-19, was laid to rest at the Church of St Mary The Virgin in London on Friday morning.
Derek fell seriously ill during the early part of the pandemic in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital before he was discharged. He died on January 3 aged 56 after suffering long-lasting symptoms from coronavirus. Many of Kate's TV friends, including Fiona, Ben Shephard, Charlotte Hawkins, Susanna Reid and more, were in attendance at the funeral.
Presenter Fiona shared her diagnosis in July last year (Getty Images)
She made a rare appearance for Derek Draper's funeral (GC Images)Fiona arrived at the church with her husband and This Morning editor Martin Frizell. The star held hands with her husband as they walked into the church for the funeral. She recently discussed her diagnosis and how she planned to continue living her best life.
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She said: “It was about two years ago that I started to realise something wasn’t quite right. Initially, I put my symptoms, like getting confused and fatigued, down to menopause. The main thing I had with menopause was this crippling anxiety and brain fog but I knew this was different. I knew it [Alzheimer’s] was in my family but I didn’t ever let myself think it might affect me too one day.”
Fiona hopes that the drug trial will slow the disease. She told woman&home magazine last year: “It involves a new drug and a placebo – and I have no idea which one I’m on. When I went for my check-up in October, they did cognitive tests, which showed that I was in the same place as I was the previous year. I’m hopeful the drug is holding the disease where it is.”
The presenter is also determined not to let the disease define her. She explained: “I’ve got big plans for 2024. I have made a plan to travel. Martin and I may downsize and spend the kids’ inheritance travelling.” However, she revealed the disease has changed her as a person.
"I speak my mind a lot more. Martin says I have no filter – it’s true," Fiona explained.