Richard Madeley reveals wife Judy Finnigan was his 'mummy' before decades-long romance
Richard Madeley spilled some intriguing tea about his wife, Judy Finnigan, during the pairs Channel 5 special 'Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits In Our Own Words'. The show took viewers on a trip down memory lane to the couple's first encounters at Granada Studios, with Judy as the experienced broadcaster and Richard joining her later.
On his very first day at work, he was met with an unexpected gesture - he got "a mother" as part of his welcome. Judy narrated how appointing a seasoned staff member as a "mother or father" to newbies was the norm, saying it was all about showing them the ropes.
She clearly couldn't resist playing that role for Richard, as she greeted him with the words, "I'm your mummy!", much to his surprise upon encountering a "beautiful blonde". Reflecting on the moment, Richard has previously revealed: "I was sitting at my desk when this hand appeared on my shoulder and I looked up at this face and Judy said, 'Hi, I'm your Mummy' and I thought 'Whaaaaat? '".
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"At Granada when someone new arrived, someone was appointed as their dad or their mum to show them round the canteen, the toilets and all that. So Judy was my 'mum'.", reports the Mirror.
This quirky beginning laid the foundation for love, leading to their marriage in 1986. Their daughter Chloe has humorously hinted at the secret behind their long-standing union, claiming it's simply "to not get divorced".
Chloe's take is that her parents have had their fair share of ups and downs over their 40+ years together but never considered calling it quits. She believes that despite the tough times, it wasn't ever dire enough to consider separation.
Before marrying Judy, Richard was previously wed to Lynda Hooley and confessed to being unfaithful multiple times. Speaking to The Mirror, he said: "Oh lots, numerous, probably in the space of about five years, about 10.
"Although the marriage had some very happy moments, there was a lot of negativity in it. I'm not using that as an excuse. It's wrong to have affairs, but I was a very young man."