Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, married for 34 years, are known for one of the strongest unions in showbiz. They first met in a newsroom in 1982 when Judy, then 34, was assigned to mentor the younger Richard, 24. Judy greeted him with, 'Hello... I'm your Mummy,' a reference to the Granada tradition of assigning a 'mum' or 'dad' to new arrivals.
Their attraction was immediate, but Judy was married to journalist David Henshaw, and Richard was separating from his first wife Lynda. An affair began, which both have insisted was more than a 'sordid office affair.' Richard recalled, 'It was actually very painful because we were very much in love but it was very difficult.' From their third date, he knew he wanted to marry her, but Judy feared he wasn't ready to be a stepfather to her six-year-old twins, Dan and Tom.
Judy ended the relationship, prompting Richard to retreat to Greece for two weeks in the summer of 1984 with a bag of step-parenting books. He returned convinced he could handle the role. The couple later married and had two children together, Jack and Chloe, in addition to Judy's twins.
The road was not without tragedy. Judy's first pregnancy with Richard ended in a miscarriage at 16 weeks. Richard recalled the devastating moment for a 2018 Channel 4 documentary: 'It was utterly devastating: no warning; no earlier, gentle, indication of the possibility of catastrophe.' Judy had to undergo induced labour, a traumatic experience Richard described as 'dreadful.'
Despite these heartbreaks, the couple became beloved hosts of This Morning, known for their devotion and occasional annoyance with each other. Their daughter Chloe recently remarked that their intense bond is 'not normal,' saying, 'I grew up watching my parents do everything together. It took me a really long time to realise that’s not normal.'
