Veteran broadcaster Richard Madeley has delivered a startlingly frank assessment of his television peers, confessing he instinctively 'hates' some fellow presenters without any logical reason.
From Painful Criticism to 'Bulletproof' Resilience
The Good Morning Britain host, who began his television career on Granada Reports in the 1980s, revealed that early criticism in his career felt genuinely 'painful' to receive. Speaking on the On The Mend podcast with Busted's Matt Willis, Madeley explained his evolution in handling public opinion.
He detailed how he eventually realised he had become 'bulletproof' from negative publicity, now considering any criticism as 'fair comment' and an exercise of free speech. The presenter argued that television personalities 'shouldn't take themselves seriously' given the nature of their public-facing roles.
'I Hate Them': Madeley's Blunt Admission
In his most candid moment, Madeley admitted there are certain television presenters he actively dislikes when watching from home. 'There are presenters on television who I don't know personally, but I see, and we've all got our sort of our hate figures,' he told podcast host Matt Willis.
He elaborated without naming specific individuals: 'I see when they pop up, sitting at home, and I hate them. There's no logical reason for it at all, but I think, 'I can't stand that so and so' so I'll turn over.'
Madeley uses this self-awareness to maintain perspective about his own public reception, reasoning that 'If I'm allowed to think like that about a TV presenter, well then anyone's allowed to think that way about me.'
Personal Confessions and Professional Appearances
This isn't the first personal revelation from the presenter recently. During a Good Morning Britain discussion about driving penalties with commentators Kwasi Kwarteng and Ayesha Hazarika, Madeley confessed to having six points on his driving licence.
He revealed both offences involved speed cameras, including one for doing 34 mph on a dual carriageway at 4:30 am in a 30 mph zone, and another for doing 24 mph in a 20 mph zone, also in the early morning. While accepting the fines, he questioned whether receiving points for these 'minor infractions' constituted over-penalisation.
Meanwhile, viewers can catch Richard Madeley appearing on Celebrity Catchphrase on ITV One at 7pm tonight, where he'll be starring alongside Axel Blake and Sian Welby.
