Mornings are the strangest times.
Those quiet moments when the children have been dropped off at school and she returns, alone, to the sprawling family home in South London. It is then, as she ponders the day in store over a cup of tea, that the realisation hits Fiona Phillips hardest. For a decade-and-a-half she was the queen of GMTV, but now, at the far from advanced age of 48, she is, to all intents and purposes, unemployed. It is a stark realisation and, if everything goes according to plan, a temporary predicament. Regrets Fiona Phillips has lost the sparkle she had when she presented GMTV Yet for those who see her on a regular basis as she walks her sons to school in the morning, the polished television performer known to millions is barely recognisable. This is partly due to the fact that she is no longer attended to by professional hair and make-up artists every morning although, as photographs show this week, she still works out regularly with her personal trainer to keep in shape. Yet there is something about the frequent frown which suggests she would rather be back on the GMTV sofa, interviewing the Prime Minister (a personal friend) or the latest Hollywood star. Since quitting the show in the middle of a £1.5 million contract eight months ago, work offers have been few and far between, while a permanent contract has eluded her altogether. ‘Fiona now admits it was a crazy time to give up such a great job, and yes of course she has regrets,’ says a friend and fellow South London resident.
‘She’s always been an optimistic person, but these days when you see her wandering home in the mornings she looks like she has a lot on her mind. When she left GMTV she expected – with some justification – to walk into another well-paid job with more sociable hours.