Richard Madeley has disclosed the heartfelt reason behind his decision to sleep in a separate bedroom from his wife, Judy Finnigan. The 69-year-old Good Morning Britain presenter, who rose to fame alongside Judy during the 1980s as co-hosts of ITV's This Morning, now retreats to the spare room to allow his wife extra sleep.
A Love Story Spanning Decades
The couple first met in 1982 while both were married to other partners. Their romance blossomed, and they married 39 years ago on November 21 in Manchester. Together, they have two children, Jack and Chloe Madeley, and Richard is stepfather to Judy's two eldest sons, Dan and Tom Henshaw, from her previous marriage.
Richard and Judy co-hosted their own show, Richard and Judy, on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2009 before declining ratings led to its cancellation. Judy later became a regular panelist on ITV's Loose Women, while Richard joined Good Morning Britain. A decade ago, Judy stepped back from television, a decision that has led to their current sleeping arrangements.
Why Separate Bedrooms?
Richard explained on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast that his early starts for Good Morning Britain—which broadcasts from 6am—prompt him to sleep in the spare room. He stated, "When I'm doing Good Morning Britain I sleep in the spare room. I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy but I'm okay on my own."
When asked if he would consider waking Judy early, he added, "I wouldn't think of doing that to Judy. Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with." He noted that his wife is "really enjoying" her break from television.
Comparisons with Other Broadcasters
During the podcast, host Kate Thornton mentioned that BBC broadcaster Amol Rajan claims he "sleeps better" with his wife beside him, despite his early morning Today programme schedule. Richard quipped, "Amol Rajan's wife must be a saint."
Reflecting on his own experience with This Morning, Richard said, "The difference between me and Amol there is that Judy and I would get up at the same time. The alarm would go off, we'd both get up and roll into our jeans, get in the car, and drive to Liverpool to do the show." They went to bed and woke up at the same time back then.
Early Days and Stepfather Role
Richard and Judy first crossed paths in the 1980s while working on separate Granada TV programmes. Richard recalls hearing that Judy was "dicing [an executive] into small cubes with her tongue" after a sexist remark. Speaking to The Guardian in 2014, he said, "I thought, wow – I'm going to marry her."
Richard recently revealed that Judy initially doubted his capabilities as a stepfather. On the On the Mend podcast, he shared that Judy made clear she came as a "three-pack" alongside twins Dan and Tom. To assess his feelings, Richard took a solo trip to Greece for two weeks.
He explained, "I went off to Greece for two weeks on a kind of a solo holiday to think about it, because I didn't want to rush—well, I wasn't rushing—but I didn't want to make that mistake." The time apart helped him realize he was "quite comfortable" taking on a role in the boys' lives. He added, "I needed to know that I could deliver and that I meant it."
