I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! contestant Richard Madeley has just been catapulted into one of the most challenging TV shows in the celeb industry – but it’ll be a breeze after his dramatic love life.
From numerous affairs, a “mistake” of a marriage and working with his wife, Richard’s done it all.
The Good Morning Britain star has taken a step back from his hosting duties as he heads up to the castle in Wales and puts his best foot forward in a bid to win the series.
Richard has been back in the forefront on TV after landing a spot as one of the top pairings years ago when he hosted his own title show with wife Judy Finnigan.
Richard and Judy are one of TV’s beloved presenting couples, and off-screen, presenter Richard admitted having a crush on Judy whilst still married to his first wife.
Judy’s odd first words
(Image: Press Association)
He met Judy Finnigan in 1982 while working at Granada TV, but Judy’s first words to Richard were quite unusual.
Having been asked to mentor Richard, he revealed to The Mirror that the first time he met her, she placed her hand on his shoulder and said: “Hi, I’m your mummy.”
Richard said he didn’t know how to react and that he soon learnt the “mummy” reference was a Granada office joke.
He said: “At Granada when someone new arrived, someone was appointed as their dad or their mum to show them round – the canteen, the toilets and all that. So Judy was my ‘mum’.”
Marriage ‘mistake’
(Image: Comic Relief via Getty Images)
Richard also added that he already had a crush on Judy, but both he and her were married to other people at the time.
Judy was married to journalist David Henshaw, with whom she had twins, Dan and Tom, for over 12 years, while Richard was married to Lynda Hooley from 1977 to 1983.
It has since been reported that Richard called his first marriage “a mistake”, and when Richard was in the process of splitting up with Lynda, he and Judy started their relationship.
Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Richard confessed he’d cheated on Lynda 10 times in five years.
He said: “Although the marriage had some very happy moments, there was a lot of negativity in it. I’m not using that as an excuse. It’s wrong to have affairs, but I was a very young man.”
(Image: Comic Relief via Getty Images)
However, when Judy was concerned that Richard was not ready to be a step-father to her twins, she called the relationship off in 1984.
She told The Mirror in a joint interview with Richard: “I had to be absolutely convinced that Richard was mature enough and sure enough of his own mind that my boys weren’t going to be hurt.”
However, Richard and Judy got back together a year later, with Richard saying: “I knew Dan and Tom really well and they were smashing, they were terribly sweet, so I took it very seriously. In the end I knew of course that I could do it – I wanted to do it.”
Life together
(Image: Getty Images)
In 1986, Judy suffered a devastating miscarriage and lost the baby at four months, telling Giovanna Fletcher on her podcast: “I went for a scan and they just showed the baby’s heart had stopped beating and that was terrible.
“It’s a really shocking, horrible thing to do and I had to go into labour anyway and it was just awful.”
However later that year, Judy gave birth to their son Jack and six months later, she and Richard got married at a registry office in Manchester.
Judy then gave birth to their daughter Chloe in 1987.
From there, the couple went on to host This Morning for 13 years from 1988 to 2001 and became one of TV’s most popular on screen presenting duos.
Richard and Judy
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
In 2001, they also launched their own Channel 4 daytime talk show Richard and Judy, which aired until 2009.
The couple, who have an eight-year age gap (Richard was born in 1956 and Judy was born in 1948), have been married for over 35 years.
In an interview with Metro, Richard explained that they have been together for so long that they know when one is getting on the other’s nerves, saying: “We almost know instinctively.
“You start to see the warning signs. I think that’s probably true of a lot of older married couples.”
He also hinted in the interview that he and Judy are possibly working on a new television project, adding that: “It wouldn’t be daily television like This Morning or The Richard And Judy Show, it would be something a bit gentler.”
(Image: PA)
However before then, Richard has settled into Gwrych Castle near Abergele, North Wales to take part in I’m A Celeb, having spent 10 days in isolation ahead of his appearance.
The presenter, who has been known for his impressions of TV characters such as Ali G and comparisons to fictional host Alan Partridge, is sure to be a favourite with viewers.
In a video message on Good Morning Britain, he told viewers that he had been isolating in a cottage ahead of the new series and that his children think it is hilarious that he is taking part.
He also sent his love to his family, saying: “I want to say a final bye to my beloved wife Judy, bye Judy, bye kids, see you on the other side, wish me luck.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
