Fiona Phillips talks Coronavirus

GMTV stalwart Fiona Phillips has spoken about her recent illness and how online comments were far from supportive during these troubled times.

“I was in bed for three weeks and it all started off with really bad gut pains, which a lot of people have been experiencing but isn’t much talked about.” – Fiona Phillips speaking on GMB

In her first television interview since having coronavirus, Fiona Phillips joined Good Morning Britain with Lorraine Kelly to talk about how she received nasty messages from trolls on Twitter while she was ill.

Fiona discussed how she ‘felt full’ with bad gut pains and then experienced a sore throat: “I’m still here,” she added. However on top of having to deal with the illness she also faced internet trolling on social media.

“Well, they wasted their time as soon as they started flooding in, I just switched it all off, to be honest with you. I’m not a big social media user anyway so it didn’t affect me. I don’t know these people. I feel quite sorry for them. If they have nothing better to do than to insult somebody who’s ill, what is their problem?” – Fiona Phillips

During her time with GMTV, the ITV breakfast programme from 1993 until 2010, Fiona had become used to a mixed viewer reception, with millions loving her style while some failed to warm to her bubbly charms.

She also went on to speak about the Alzheimer’s Society’s emergency appeal in the wake of coronavirus and being involved as both her parents had been ill with dementia. On their battle with the disease, she said:

“What people don’t realise as well, is when people have Alzheimer’s, they impact on other emergency services in a big way. I’ve never really had much contact with the police, apart from when I shoplifted when I was 11. During my parents years with Alzheimer’s we had the fire brigade round, ambulance, police. I remember coming off GMTV one day, Lorraine, I can’t remember who I interviewed, I think it was Clint Eastwood came in and  I got outside and had a phone call from Wales where my parents were staying just to let you know they had set the house on fire. It was a bizarre existence and it went on for a long, long time.” – Fiona Phillips

Good Morning Britain airs from 6am to 10am weekdays, with Lorraine Kelly hosting from 9am.