Fiona opened up about her diagnosis in 2023 (Image: Getty)
Fiona Phillips detailed her Alzheimer’s battle in her memoir, Remember When, following her 2022 diagnosis.
Fiona Phillips’ Alzheimer’s battle in her own words: ‘A nightmare where it’s pitch black’. Acclaimed broadcaster Fiona Phillips opened up about being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her compelling and brutally honest 2025 memoir, Remember When.
Diagnosed at just 60 years old, the mother-of-two detailed her experience with the illness, and how she navigated memory loss and the NHS. Fiona publicly shared her personal journey to spread widespread awareness of the condition, which also claimed the lives of her parents and an uncle.
The journalist first dealt with months of severe anxiety and brain fog before being diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2022. Opening up about the emotional changes, Fiona wrote: “Finally, it clicks in place, and I turn it in. I gently push the door open, but then in that very moment. I sense the person I love has disappeared again.” She added: “They’re gone. The memory has gone. And I’m all alone. And that’s how it is for me living with Alzheimer’s.”
Fiona Phillips’ memoir Remember When offers a deeply personal and moving account of life with early-onset Alzheimer’s, chronicling her experiences, family history, and coping journey while providing valuable insights for readers facing similar challenges Amazon+1
Overview of the Book
Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer’s is a memoir by Fiona Phillips, first published in July 2025 by Macmillan in the UK and Pan Macmillan in other editions Amazon+1
The book spans approximately 323–336 pages and is available in print, Kindle, and audiobook formats Amazon+1
. It reached Sunday Times bestseller status at number one shortly after publication Amazon+1
In the memoir, Fiona shares her journey after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 61, after having cared for both of her parents, who also suffered from the illness Amazon+1
She recounts her initial symptoms—such as “brain fog” and difficulty concentrating—that she initially attributed to menopause, and describes the gradual progression of memory loss and confusion. The book captures both her personal perspective and the experiences of her family, particularly her husband, highlighting the multiple layers of impact dementia has on loved ones Alzheimer’s Society
Themes and Content
- Personal Journey: Fiona writes with honesty about facing the diagnosis herself and navigating daily life with Alzheimer’s. She chronicles her emotional responses, anxieties, and coping strategies 2.
- Family History and Caregiving: The memoir includes her experiences watching her parents succumb to Alzheimer’s and the challenges she faced caring for them 1.
- Healthcare and System Navigation: Fiona shares insights into interactions with the NHS and care systems, providing guidance for others navigating similar situations 2.
- Life, Joy, and Perspective: Despite the disease, Phillips emphasizes the continuing value and joys of life, aiming to give hope and understanding to readers 3.
4 Sources
Author Background
Fiona Phillips is a well-known British journalist and TV presenter,formerly associated with GMTV, ITV, and BBC documentaries, – Search Videos and one of the Daily Mirror’s longest-serving columnists Amazon+1
Her TV work ceased in 2018 due to anxiety, and her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was announced in 2022. She is also an ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society, making her memoir particularly connected to advocacy as well as personal storytelling Amazon+1
Reception and Impact
The memoir has been praised for its honesty, emotional depth, and relatability. Readers and reviewers highlight the courage of Fiona and her family in facing the disease with grace. Notable quotes from public figures include Alison Hammond: “The strength, the love, the way they’ve handled everything with such grace and courage is so inspiring” Amazon+1
The Alzheimer’s Society book group found the memoir compelling, raw, and insightful, particularly appreciating the dual perspectives from Fiona and her husband for understanding the complexities of family caregiving Alzheimer’s Society
Significance for Readers
Remember When offers more than a personal narrative; it provides:
- Understanding of early-onset Alzheimer’s, including symptom progression and emotional challenges
- Support for carers and insights into patient and caregiver perspectives
- Hope and affirmation that even with dementia, meaningful experiences and memories can still be cherished 2
2 Sources
In summary, Fiona Phillips’ memoir is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand Alzheimer’s from the perspective of someone living with and alongside the disease, as well as for those interested in human resilience, caregiving, and family dynamics affected by dementia Amazon+2
Fiona Phillips’ memoir Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer’s provides an intimate, unflinching portrayal of life with early-onset Alzheimer’s, chronicling both the cognitive and emotional dimensions of the disease. Her narrative is deeply personal yet resonates broadly, offering readers insight into living with a condition often shrouded in fear and misunderstanding. Key aspects of her experience include:
1. Early Symptoms and Realization
- Subtle onset: Fiona initially noticed “brain fog”, difficulty concentrating, and memory lapses, which she and others attributed to menopause.
- Gradual realization: Over time, these subtle cognitive changes escalated to more frequent forgetting, confusion, and disorientation, marking the progressive impact of Alzheimer’s on daily life.
- Familial echoes: Having witnessed both her mother and father succumb to Alzheimer’s, Fiona recognized patterns that intensified her awareness of the disease’s trajectory.
2. Cognitive and Emotional Impact
- Memory erosion: She describes the feeling of memories being “close but unreachable”, likening it to chasing a note in the wind, or a nightmare in which loved ones disappear into darkness.
- Identity and frustration: Losing the ability to recall personal and professional experiences generated fear, anxiety, and a sense of isolation, accentuated by her awareness of the family history of dementia.
- Dual perspective: Through alternating narratives with her husband Martin Frizell, the memoir shows both the internal struggle of the person living with Alzheimer’s and the observational strain of caregiving, emphasizing the disease’s multifaceted emotional impact.
3. Daily Life and Caregiving
- Navigating routine: Simple tasks that were once second nature, like recalling schedules or managing work commitments, became increasingly challenging.
- Support systems: The memoir highlights interactions with healthcare providers and the NHS, illustrating practical hurdles in accessing support while offering guidance for others in similar situations.
- Spousal caregiving: Martin’s perspective captures the emotional labor, vigilance, and advocacy required to maintain Fiona’s safety, dignity, and quality of life.
4. Awareness, Advocacy, and Coping
- Hope and value in life: Despite the disease’s progression, Fiona emphasizes that life still holds joy, meaning, and moments of connection, fostering a message of perseverance.
- Public education: As an Alzheimer’s Society ambassador, she uses her platform to underline the importance of awareness, research funding, and support networks.
- Reflection on legacy: The memoir serves both as a personal chronicle and as a resource for families navigating caregivers’ burdens and emotional strain.
5. Narrative and Style
- Candid transparency: Fiona writes with unvarnished honesty, expressing the abrupt, sometimes terrifying realities of early-onset Alzheimer’s.
- Alternating perspectives: Including Martin’s voice offers depth, illustrating the daily emotional and practical challenges faced by loved ones of someone with dementia.
- Emotional resonance: Readers frequently describe experiences of tearfulness, empathy, and profound reflection, highlighting the book’s ability to humanize and contextualize Alzheimer’s beyond statistics or clinical descriptions.
Conclusion
Living with early-onset Alzheimer’s, as conveyed by Fiona Phillips, is an experience marked by gradual cognitive decline, emotional turbulence, and the reshaping of identity and routine, yet tempered by love, support, and advocacy. Remember When captures both the harrowing challenges and moments of retained joy, offering an invaluable window into the lived experience of the disease for both patients and caregivers. It stands out as a candid, compassionate, and educative memoir that fosters understanding, empathy, and awareness of the realities of Alzheimer’s at a stage of life traditionally unconceived as vulnerable to it.
Why does Fiona Phillips describe Alzheimer’s as a family ‘curse’?
What Are Dementia Hallucinations and How to Handle Them – Alzheimer’s In Your Home | Dementia Caregiver Help
Why the Walls May Feel Like They’re Closing In on someone with Alzheimer’s Dementia Patient.
In Alzheimer’s disease, the brain changes in ways that can distort a person’s senses and interpretation of their environment.
This can make familiar surroundings feel unsafe, crowded, or as if they are “closing in” — even though nothing is physically changing.
1. Hallucinations and false perceptions
Alzheimer’s can cause hallucinations — false sensory experiences that feel real to the person 
2. Changes in perception
Beyond hallucinations, dementia can cause misperceptions — when the brain misreads real sensory information. For example, a person might mistake a shadow for a person, or a doorframe for an obstacle
3. Fear, anxiety, and memory loss
As memory and spatial awareness decline, people with dementia may feel unsafe in their surroundings 
4. Possible related conditions
Some people with Alzheimer’s also experience Capgras syndrome or other delusional misidentification syndromes, where they believe familiar people or objects have been replaced
5. Why does it feel real to them
To the person with dementia, the sensation is genuine — it’s not “imaginary” in their mind. The brain’s altered processing makes the experience real, even if it’s not true in the outside world 
What can help
- Stay calm and reassured: Use simple, supportive words like “I’m here, you’re safe”
Alzheimer’s Association.
- Avoid arguing: Correcting them can increase distress; instead, acknowledge their feelings.
- Reduce triggers: Ensure the environment is well-lit, familiar, and free of clutter.
- Medical check: Rule out infections, vision/hearing issues, or medication effects that can worsen hallucinations
- Non-drug strategies: Maintain routines, use familiar objects, and provide a safe, predictable space.
In short, the “walls closing in” feeling is often a mix of sensory misinterpretation, hallucination, and fear caused by brain changes in Alzheimer’s. It’s a real experience for the person, and the best response is to address the fear, not just the perception.
Why does the walls feel like they closing in on someone with alzheimer’s dementia – Search Video
Fiona Phillips uses the term curse to describe how Alzheimer’s disease has repeatedly affected her family members. She notes that the condition has taken the lives of her grandmother, both of her parents, and her uncle Barry. 
In her 2025 memoir, Remember When, Phillips reflects on the recurring nature of the illness within her lineage, stating that it feels like a curse that keeps coming back to claim her family. She describes the personal struggle of living with the disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2022 at the age of 60, and shares the emotional difficulty of losing memories that feel just out of reach.
Spend too much time alone and your brain can start changing in worrying ways | Watch
How to cook MIND diet meals that support brain vessel health and volume
Explosive strength training boosts brain metabolism, sleep in older adults
Twenty years since I wrote the book, The God Delusion won’t die
Human brain is actually two separate organs, scientists find