Yahoo News ITV This Morning boss quits over 'family priorities' after TV star wife's health diagnosis
This Morning's editor Martin Frizell has announced he is leaving the ITV show after a decade at its helm.
The 65-year-old joined ITV in 2014, initially taking charge of Loose Women before moving to This Morning, which he plans to leave in Spring 2025. With news running in the family, Martin married former GM:TV presenter Fiona Phillips in 1997, the reason he made the decision to leave his job.
Birmingham Live reports 63-year-old Fiona opened up about her Alzheimer's diagnosis last year and now, her husband is looking to prioritise family matters. He explained his decision, saying: "Next year I'm expecting my family priorities to change so I need to free up time for them.
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"I love my team at ITV and will miss them and the thrill of live telly but it's an always on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment and I won't be able to do both."
He also reflected on his achievements, stating: "It's been a privilege to lead truly great presenters and producers, between us we've turned out more than six thousand hours of live topical telly, that's around 20,000 items and whilst the gongs are always nice. I'm most proud of the change we made to so many lives, even saving a fair few with our campaigns on anti suicide, menopause, testicular cancer and 'how - to' items. This juggernaut is the toughest test for any broadcast journalist."
Fiona revealed she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. She said: "It's something I might have thought I'd get at 80. But I was still only 61 years old."
The presenter said she felt "more angry than anything else" because the disease had already had such an impact on her family life. "My poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us," she said.
She also described how her husband had been helping her with medication. Fiona added: "Poor Martin, he has been injecting my stomach every day, he has been brilliant. The drugs are brand new and they're expecting a lot from this and so am I."
Kevin Lygo, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment at ITV, praised Martin's tenure, commenting, "This Morning is an iconic show in ITV's schedule, and heading the team for a decade, producing more than ten hours of original, topical, live television every week is an amazing achievement."
Emma Gormley, Managing Director at ITV Studios Daytime, praised the outgoing figure, saying: "As a programme and a brand, Martin has made sure the show continues to be a household name, an award-winning staple of the schedule with a growing successful presence in digital and social. On behalf of the ITV Network, we thank Martin and wish him the very best for his future ventures.", reports the Mirror.
She continued to highlight the achievements under his tenure: "Martin has brought so much success to This Morning over the last decade which has seen an evolving landscape of changing and diversifying viewing habits. Under Martin, This Morning is now one of the nation's most engaged formats, on both ITV and social platforms, hitting an amazing 1 billion views across this year alone; an incredible legacy."
Gormley added: "I am proud of the brilliance and energy that he has brought to his role as custodian of this iconic brand. Martin's decade-long contribution to the longevity and good health of our flagship show has been remarkable, and he leaves it in a place where it can continue to thrive into the next decade and beyond."
