Richard Madeley has confessed to smoking up to 60 cigarettes a day in his younger years, attributing his avoidance of drugs to a 'very addictive personality'. The 69-year-old presenter, known for his work with wife Judy Finnigan, opened up on Matt Willis's podcast 'On The Mend'.
Madeley explained that he never even tried cannabis, saying: 'I have a very addictive personality. I knew that - and cigarettes proved that to me - and so I've always been terrified of the heavier stuff.' He added that he steers clear of cocaine and marijuana because he fears falling into the same trap as Willis.
The former 'This Morning' host started smoking at 16 while working as a reporter, when smoking was commonplace. He recalled chain-smoking at his desk, unable to write without a cigarette. He finally quit at age 40 after a poignant interview with journalist John Diamond, who was dying from smoking-related throat and mouth cancer.
During the live interview, Diamond bluntly confirmed his condition was due to smoking. Madeley said: 'I went back to my dressing room, reached up onto the top shelf of my wardrobe and pulled my packet of Benson & Hedges down... I took out the four or five that were left and I flushed them down the toilet. I knew that was it - I could not allow myself to end like that.' He has not smoked since.
