Richard Madeley has revealed he and his wife of 37 years, Judy Finnigan had blazing rows before going live on air together.
The TV couple presented This Morning together from 1988 until 2001 before they went on to host their own daily chat show, Richard & Judy until 2009.
Now a regular host on GMB without Judy, Richard, 67, opened up about the challenges of working with his wife, 75, and having to go live on air after a row.
Interviewing fellow couple Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch on Tuesday morning, Richard revealed: ‘if you’ve had a row, you can’t hide it’.
He said: ‘I do remember this, when Judy and I were presenting together, you know, every day, a bit like you on the podcast, if you’ve had a row… you can’t hide it.
‘So we’d be sitting there, we’d had a massive row in the car on the way to Liverpool to do the show and not talking basically, then you do the show.
‘Within 30 seconds of going on air, people would be ringing our phone saying: “They’ve had a row, haven’t they!” and people can tell when you’re not getting on.’
Richard and former footballer Peter, 42, seemed to bond over the difficulty of understanding women’s ‘coded messages’ during the segment, as Peter admitted he once didn’t get a fuming Abbey any Christmas gifts.
Abbey, 37, explained: ‘One year I said ‘oh nothing’ when he asked me what I wanted but like but I didn’t mean it.
‘It’s just a typical girl thing to say. Then I woke up that year on the naughty list, I got nothing!’
Peter then retorted: ‘It is very hard to interpret the coded message!’
The pair are known for their playful bickering and often have hilarious conversations about married life on their Therapy Crouch podcast.
Meanwhile Richard and Judy recently marked a big relationship milestone.
The couple, who married in 1986, celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary last month, and Richard revealed the pair have now been living together a total of 40 years.
Announcing the news live on air with host Susanna Reid, Richard said: ‘I can’t believe it actually… because it seems about 15 years but yeah it’s my 37th wedding anniversary!’
To which his co-host Susanna, 52, replied: ‘Wow, congratulations Richard and Judy!’
Richard added: ‘Actually, because we were together a few years before that, it’s actually sort of 40 years of being under the same roof, which is just ridiculous!’
Susanna then joked: ‘Long service medals all round… or just for Judy!’, with Richard adding: ‘I think just for Judy, yeah!’
Richard then gave an insight into how he plans to celebrate the special occasion with Judy.
He said: ‘[We’re] going to a posh dinner, thank you very much!’
Richard and Judy tied the knot on November 21, 1986, and have since welcomed children Jack, 37, and Chloe, 36, together. Judy also has twins Dan and Tom, 36, with her ex husband, David Henshaw.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
