Fiona Phillips gives health update after Alzheimer’s diagnosis and admits she thinks GMTV career contributed to disease

TV star Fiona Phillips thinks her early morning starts on GMTV could have led to her developing Alzheimer’s.

The presenter, 62, who was diagnosed with the disease last year, spent 15 years getting up at 3.30am to front the ITV show.

She said: “I wonder if all the years of getting up so early contributed to me developing Alzheimer’s so young.

"Getting my diagnosis was devastating.”

She is now taking part in a clinical trial for a new treatment and said the “signs are positive”.

In an interview with the January Christmas edition of Woman & Home magazine, she added: “It involves a brand new drug and a placebo.

“I have no idea which one I am on.

“When I went for my six-month check-up, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed I was in the same place as I was the previous year.

“I’m hopeful that the drug is holding the disease where it is.”

Despite the diagnosis, Fiona says she is trying to keep positive.

She added: “I’m not giving it any space in my life at the moment.

“I’ve still got so much I want to do.

“I’d rather this hadn’t happened but it has and I’m going to deal with it in the best way I can.

“I am determined to live the best life I can.”

Fiona has two sons, Nathaniel, 24, and Mackenzie, 21, with husband Martin Frizell, the boss of This Morning.

She said: “My sons have been incredible about my diagnosis.

“I thought they may be scared or treat me differently, but I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction.

“They’re much more affectionate with me now, and they’ll sit and cuddle me while we’re watching telly. It’s lovely.”