Richard Madeley has argued that Britons have "totally forgotten how to enjoy a crisis" as the UK swelters under a record-breaking June heatwave. Writing for the Daily Express, the broadcaster contrasted the current response with the legendary hot spell of 1976, when he says the country displayed far greater resilience and even a sense of humour.
1976 vs 2026: A Tale of Two Heatwaves
Madeley, a baby boomer born in 1956, suggested his generation was more resilient because they were brought up on stories of wartime hardship and 'making do'. Rationing ended only in 1954, and life remained relatively uncompromising into the 1970s. He claimed that during the 1976 heatwave, schools stayed open, offices remained staffed, and buckled rail tracks were swiftly replaced without fuss.
"Rather than moaning and groaning about temperatures that were, in old money, persistently in the mid-90s (fahrenheit), Brits rather enjoyed the extreme weather," he wrote. "We embraced it, with a grin."
Madeley recalled how the hastily-appointed Minister for Drought cheerfully welcomed the media into his home to reveal that he and his wife would share baths to save water. The public obeyed his instruction to fill baths with no more than five inches of water, and many used the soapy water to water their roses. "See? Make do and mend. The wartime spirit was still alive, even in 1976," he added.
Standpipes and Queues: No Protests in '76
When mains supplies slowed to a trickle, standpipes were set up in affected areas. Madeley said he did not remember any protests; instead, people queued patiently with basins, buckets and empty milk bottles, laughing and joking. "Yes, it WAS a crisis, but truth be told, most of us rather enjoyed it," he wrote.
He noted that nowhere had air conditioning – even supermarkets were like "today's air fryers" – so shoppers fanned themselves with newspapers and applied wet cloths to their foreheads at home.
Broadcasters 'Infantilise' the Public
Madeley drew a sharp contrast between media coverage in 1976 and 2026. He said broadcasters in the 1970s did not "catastrophise" or adopt "horribly earnest, patronising tones". Instead of implying 'Is this the end of days?', the attitude was more 'Phew, what a scorcher!'. He exempted his colleagues at Good Morning Britain from this criticism.
"Everyone knew the blast of heat wouldn't last, and should be enjoyed and marvelled at wherever possible," he wrote. The 1976 heatwave ended with a magnificent explosion of thunderstorms, followed by heavy rain for the rest of the summer – exactly as, he predicted, the current spell will.
Virtue Signalling and the BBC's Scottish Problem
In a separate section, Madeley criticised what he called "pointless virtue-signalling" over the pronunciation of 'Turkey' as 'Toor-kee-yeh' by some British football commentators. He argued that Turkish commentators do not pronounce 'England' or 'Scotland' in the local language, and the affectation was unnecessary.
He also recounted a conversation with a friend of similar age who was in Aberdeen during the 1976 heatwave. The friend said it was one of the coolest, wettest summers on record in Scotland, yet the BBC news "rabbited on about England's precious heatwave" without ever reporting the Scottish experience. The friend claimed the coverage brought about a revival in the campaign for Scottish independence. "By the time your heatwave was over, we hated the BBC," the friend said. "I'm convinced of it!"
Madeley concluded by noting that the Met Office has named the hottest part of the UK as 37C, breaking the June record.
