As he paid tribute to the much-loved journalist who passed away this morning, Martin Frizell shared a photo of John Stapleton with his wife Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway.
Fiona Phillips’ husband, Martin Frizell, has shared a throwback photo of her at work as he paid tribute to John Stapleton.
The 66-year-old producer and editor, who has been married to Fiona since 1997 and shares two children with her, described John as “a constant presence” in his career. Martin remembered his former colleague and mentioned some of the stories they covered together – including when they reported from Kosovo and Iraq.
After John passed away, Martin shared a photo of him, Fiona and Kate Garraway on Instagram – with a moving caption in tribute to the late journalist. He wrote, “What fun we had. Such sad news to hear that Stapes, as we called him, has passed away.
READ MORE: John Stapleton dead: GMTV and Watchdog legend dies at 79
He and I worked together on numerous stories about Kosovo and Iraq, shared many laughs, and were a constant source of conversation throughout our careers. Before entering broadcasting, John, like me, rose through the ranks of newspaper journalism and never gave up the desire to dig out a story.
We will miss him, even the ribbing from him when Chelsea lost to City, which happened frequently, says “one of the greats of his generation”! His agent confirmed that John had battled Parkinson’s disease, which sadly passed away at the age of 79, adding that pneumonia was a contributing factor to the condition.
The dearly cherished presenter passed away peacefully this morning in a hospital. He was well-known for his television appearances on CNN, Newsnight, GMTV, and the BBC’s Watchdog.
John shared his Parkinson’s diagnosis in October 2024, saying he was “learning to live with it” and had been “miserable” for almost 50 years on the screen. This included reporting on four US elections. His agent Jackie Gill shared the depressing news that John passed away: “John had Parkinson’s disease, which was complicated by pneumonia. His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have always supported him, and John passed away peacefully this morning in the hospital.
Nick Stapleton, a journalist and broadcaster known for his work on Scam Interceptors, made a shocking revelation on BBC Morning Live that John’s passing had “taken a turn for the worse.”
Nick responded, “Unfortunately, Dad has a bit of a chest infection, and that can be pretty nasty if you’ve got Parkinson’s,” when the host offered him his best wishes. And I just felt like I needed to help him a lot this weekend.
“And thankfully, that is now in place, and I’m optimistic that, as you know, he’ll return to form soon. Absolutely, Gethin expressed his support. We send him all our love, of course.
John bravely revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis to his son Nick on Morning Live last year. He said, “For the better part of 50 years, speaking is how I’ve made my living. Sometimes it’s very frustrating, especially when [people keep asking you, “Sorry, what did you say? ” And you must constantly repeat yourself.
“I’m optimistic about the possibility that this will get worse. What purpose does it serve to be negative, I try to stay positive? He continued, “It won’t ever change, there’s no point in being miserable.” For the rest of my life, Parkinson’s is right here with me. The best thing I can do is try to control it and heed the advice of the experts.
Source: Mirror
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