Richard Madeley has opened up about his relationship with Judy Finnigan in a throwback interview. The presenter discussed their lives since they stopped co-hosting television shows. They are one of the strongest couples in showbiz and are still going strong.
Richard and Judy became household names after presenting ‘Richard and Judy’ together with the show running for eight years. They also presented This Morning together which was originally broadcast from Liverpool’s Albert Dock. They married in 1986 and have both enjoyed incredible careers. Judy has since retired from television while Richard has carried on and is regularly an anchor on Good Morning Britain.
In a candid chat on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, the couple opened up on their relationship. Richard said their partnership is “semi-detached” as they have separate careers, yet they have a great support network for one another in their home lives.
Judy added: “We are incredibly close, we always have been. Obviously, I think working together for so long has bonded us more tightly than if we had two completely separate jobs.”
The 77-year-old added: “I think the thing is, when you’re presenting a show like the kind that we presented, it’s very instinctive, you’re doing interviews all the time. By the time I decided I’d had enough, you and I were something completely different anyway, it just didn’t matter, it didn’t make any difference at all.
“When you go and do GMB, I’m still here in bed, I’m happy to stay when he gets up, it doesn’t make any difference at all to our relationship.”
In response, Richard said: “So we’re not actually as detached, I suppose we’re a bit semi-detached, but we’re not detached in the way that it might seem to outsiders.”
Judy first set eyes on Richard when he joined her at Granada as a news presenter. Recalling their first meeting, Judy said: “I remember the first time I saw him. He walked into the newsroom and I was sitting at my desk at the other end.
”I remember exactly what he was wearing: a pale blue linen suit. I thought he looked nice. Tall, handsome and all that but I thought the suit was a bit flash. Then, because he was a newbie, I was assigned the job of looking after him.”
The couple have two children together, Jack Christopher and Chloe Susannah. Judy has twin sons, Dan and Tom, from her previous marriage.