Good Morning Britain star Richard Madeley has opened up about his sleeping arrangements with wife Judy Finnigan, as he says he sleeps in a separate bedroom
Richard Madeley revealed he sleeps separately from his wife Judy Finnigan(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Richard Madeley has revealed the heartfelt reason behind why he sleeps in a different bedroom to Judy Finnigan. The 69-year-old Good Morning Britain presenter shot to fame alongside Judy during the 1980s as they fronted ITV’s This Morning before launching their own show, Richard and Judy, on Channel 4.
The pair first met in 1982, whilst both were married to different partners, but their romance developed and 39 years ago today (November 21) they tied the knot in Manchester. The couple share two children, Jack and Chloe Madeley, whilst Richard is also stepfather to Judy’s two eldest sons, Dan and Tom Henshaw, from her previous marriage.
Richard and Judy ran from 2001 to 2009 when falling ratings led to its cancellation by television channel Watch. Judy later became a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women whilst Richard joined Good Morning Britain.
However, a decade ago Judy made the major life choice to retire from television – a decision which has resulted in them sleeping separately.
And Richard says his wife is “really enjoying” her break from the spotlight. This comes as he continues on GMB alongside journalist Susanna Reid, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Richard and Judy first met in 1982 when he joined Granada(Image: Getty Images)
He has recently taken his own break from the programme, informing fans he was “operating at 80 per cent” after contracting Covid. Hosting ITV’s flagship breakfast programme means early mornings for Richard.
With GMB broadcasting from 6am, he often sleeps separately from his wife so she can enjoy undisturbed rest. The presenter discussed their sleeping arrangements on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast.
He said: “When I’m doing Good Morning Britain I sleep in the spare room. I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy but I’m okay on my own.”
Chloe Madeley with her parents Richard and Judy(Image: Chloe Madeley Instagram)
When asked if he’d considered waking Judy early instead, he responded: “I wouldn’t think of doing that to Judy. Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with.”
Kate mentioned that fellow breakfast presenter Amol Rajan says he “sleeps better” beside his wife. This means the couple, who share four children under seven, both wake early when he presents the Today programme. Richard commented: “Amol Rajan’s wife must be a saint.”
He continued: “We did This Morning, but the difference between me and Amol there is that Judy and I would get up at the same time. The alarm would go off, we’d both get up and roll into our jeans, get in the car, and drive to Liverpool to do the show, and then when we were in London, drive down to the Southbank. So we went to bed at the same time and woke up at the same time.”
Richard Madeley on Good Morning Britain(Image: ITV)
Richard and Judy met in the 1980s when they both worked on different Granada TV programmes. Richard says he heard Judy was “dicing [an executive] into small cubes with her tongue” after he said “something sexist”. Speaking to the Guardian in 2014, he said: “I thought, wow – I’m going to marry her.”
However, Richard has recently disclosed that Judy harboured initial doubts about whether he could handle being a stepfather. During an appearance on Busted star Matt Willis’s On the Mend podcast, Richard recounted how Judy made clear she came as a “three-pack” alongside twins Dan and Tom.
Needing to properly evaluate his feelings about the relationship, Richard jetted off to Greece for some soul-searching.
He dedicated a fortnight in the Mediterranean nation contemplating “quite deeply” about what lay ahead, though the tale would eventually reach a happy ending. Richard said: “So, I went off on my own. I went off to Greece for two weeks on a kind of a solo holiday to think about it, because I didn’t want to rush – well, I wasn’t rushing – but I didn’t want to make that mistake.”
Richard revealed the period apart from Judy helped him conclude he felt “quite comfortable” taking on a role in the boys’ upbringing. He continued: “I didn’t want to say airily and with super-confidence, ‘Oh, yeah, it’ll be fine. You know, I’m happy to be a stepfather’. I needed to know that I could deliver and that I meant it.”