Richard Madeley's Emotional Tribute to Late Friend Moves Good Morning Britain Guest
Richard Madeley fought back tears during Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain as he paid a heartfelt tribute to his late friend of five decades, leaving guest Stephen Mangan visibly emotional. The 69-year-old presenter returned to screens alongside co-host Kate Garraway, 58, for the latest instalment of the ITV morning programme.
Heartfelt Moment During Interview
The pair had been speaking with actor Stephen Mangan, 57, about the upcoming series of Landscape Artist of the Year when Richard took a moment at the interview's conclusion to honour his departed friend. Becoming visibly emotional, Richard stated: 'I don't want to finish this interview without paying a very short tribute to a very good friend of both of us. Stuart Prebble.'
Kate immediately acknowledged the closeness of their relationship, responding: 'He was very close to you as well.' Richard, struggling with emotion, continued: 'I knew Stuart for 50 years. He passed away very sadly earlier this year. We last met at his funeral.'
Guest's Emotional Response
Stephen Mangan, clearly moved by the tribute, told Richard: 'And you spoke really beautifully.' Richard replied: 'I was speaking of a very beautiful man. We miss him very much. I just thought it was something I should say.'
His co-presenter Kate added her own touching words: 'Richard, what a lovely, lovely person you are. A lovely person.' The segment created a poignant moment on the typically fast-paced morning show.
Remembering Stuart Prebble
Television executive Stuart Prebble, who passed away aged 74 in August last year following a battle with pancreatic cancer, had an illustrious career in broadcasting. He served as Chairman of Storyvault Films and held CEO positions at ITV, Granada Sky Broadcasting, and ITV Digital, while also working for the BBC earlier in his career.
His production credits included serving as executive producer for BBC2's Grumpy Old Men series, along with working on documentaries such as Why We Went to War, The Alastair Campbell Diaries, and Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory. Beyond television, Prebble published eleven books including A Power in the Land, The Insect Farm, and Black and Blue.
In his personal life, he was married to Barbara Gifford from 1973 to 1978, then to Marilyn Charlton from 1978 until her death in 2020, before marrying Samantha Richards later that same year.
Emotional Week on Morning Television
This emotional moment follows another tearful appearance earlier in the week on the same programme. On Wednesday's episode, Calum Best fought back tears while discussing his mother Angie's 'traumatising and all-consuming' cancer battle with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
The 44-year-old appeared on the ITV show to raise awareness about cancer, urging viewers to get checked. His mother, former wife of football legend George Best, recently shared her diagnosis of colon cancer that has spread to her liver.
Calum described the personal impact, stating: 'This is crazy, I've had the pleasure of coming on here for many years and talking about things, this is the first time I'm sitting here going "It's so raw and it's so fresh."' He explained how he had to take his mother to Zurich for treatment after doctors discovered a 30cm tumour in her colon that had metastasized to her liver.
'It's wiped her out, bless her,' he said of his mother's chemotherapy. 'She's an absolute fighter, she's a trooper. She's spread health and wellness her whole life, from PT to everything, and now, it just shows it doesn't matter what you do and how you do it, it can affect anybody.'
These consecutive emotional segments have highlighted Good Morning Britain's ability to handle sensitive personal stories alongside its regular news and entertainment coverage, creating moments of genuine human connection that resonate with viewers.
