Richard Madeley's romances - first wife, '10 affairs' confession, forbidden love

21 September 2023 , 09:07

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Richard was married to another woman before meeting Judy (Image: Yourlife)

Before Richard Madeley became a regular presenter on ITV's Good Morning Britain, he was known for hosting This Morning with his beloved wife Judy Finnigan. The celebrated TV stars first met at work back in 1982, and now have 37 years of wedded wisdom under their belt but their love lives haven't always been plain sailing.

The journalist duo were both previously married to other people and Richard, 67, admitted to having several affairs during his first union. Judy, 75, was in another relationship and had two young sons when the couple first starting secretly dating in the eighties, and she told Richard that she would only embark on a romance if he promised to do one thing.

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan met in the newsroom in 1982 (Rex)

Richard and Judy with daughter Chloe and son Jack (EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)

Just 21 when he married Lynda Hooley, Richard has since said that the marriage was a mistake and that he struggled to be faithful. Speaking about how many women he bedded during the six-year union, Richard previously told the Mirror: "Oh lots, numerous, probably in the space of about five years, about 10." He added: "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."

Richard then met Judy when he joined Granada to present alongside Tony Wilson and Judy, who at eight years his senior was the more experienced journalist. "I remember the first time I saw him. He walked into the newsroom and I was sitting at my desk at the other end," Judy recalled of their fateful first meeting. "I remember exactly what he was wearing: a pale blue linen suit. I thought he looked nice. Tall, handsome and all that but I thought the suit was a bit flash. Then, because he was a newbie, I was assigned the job of looking after him," she told The Mirror.

Their very first exchange has become the stuff of legends. "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?'" revealed Richard, who already had a crush on Judy after watching her on TV. Explaining the joke, he continued: "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'."

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Judy was previously married to David Henshaw (Daily Mirror)

The attraction was obvious, but Judy was married to journalist David Henshaw and Richard was in the process of splitting from first wife Lynda. One night they went out for dinner and their affair began, although both have insisted it was much more than a "sordid office affair". "[Colleagues at Granada] thought it was frivolous but it wasn't anything of the kind. It was actually very painful because we were very much in love but it was very difficult," Richard recalled.

From their third date he knew he wanted to marry Judy, but at 26, she feared he wasn't ready to be a step-father to her then six-year-old twins Dan and Tom from her first marriage to journalist David Henshaw. "I had to be absolutely convinced that Richard was mature enough and sure enough of his own mind that my boys weren't going to be hurt," she said. "When we first got together I remember my mother said to him, 'If you hurt those boys I'll never forgive you'."

Judy, then 34, called things off, prompting a devastated Richard to retreat to Greece for two weeks in the summer of 1984 armed with a bag of step-parenting books to do some soul searching. "I knew Dan and Tom really well and they were smashing, they were terribly sweet, so I took it very ­seriously. In the end I knew of course that I could do it – I wanted to do it," he said.

Richard became step-father to Judy's twins, and they welcomed son Jack and daughter Chloe together

It took Judy a year to make her mind up, though. Richard was over the moon when she finally did make her choice - and it was him. The first thing they did as a couple was take the twins to Cornwall for a week, with the county becoming so special to them that they would end up living there years later. But sadly their bliss soon turned to tragedy when Judy's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage and she was forced to deliver their child.

Opening up about the devastating loss for 2018 Channel 4 documentary Child of Mine, Richard recalled how they went for a routine scan at 16 weeks, only to be told their baby had passed away. He recalled: "It was utterly devastating: no warning; no earlier, gentle, indication of the possibility of catastrophe. Our baby had just died. And he was still in Judy's womb.

"She was kept in hospital overnight for a second scan (“just to make absolutely sure”) and was then put into an induced labour. My heart broke for her as I waited outside the delivery room. What a dreadful experience: to go through the motions of childbirth, knowing what the grim outcome would be."

Once the couple had recovered, their boy Jack, 36, arrived in 1986, and just as Judy was about to return from maternity leave, she found out she was expecting daughter Chloe, 35. A hormonal imbalance then sparked post-natal depression, and after years of gynaecological problems she was forced to have a hysterectomy in 1998 - something she feared would destroy her famous sexual bond with Richard.

Richard admitted to numerous affairs when he was with his first wife Lynda

In fact, the hormone replacement therapy she was put on did quite the opposite, so much so that they had to sleep in separate beds while she healed from the surgery. In 1988 they took up a job on a show that would change their lives forever - ITV's This Morning. With their journalistic backgrounds and natural chemistry, they revived the daytime show and quickly became the nation's favourites.

Often compared to Alan Partridge for his verbal faux pas, Richard is as famous for his Ali G impression as he is his sexual overshares. From their adventures with Viagra to his appreciation of Judy's form, he hilariously has never known quite when to stop. But there's no shame in his game. Speaking to the Mirror, he once said: "I think relationships can evolve to a point in old age where sex becomes less important - but I am 58, not 98.

"In most dynamic marriages, sex is a very important component. You can deny that at your peril. One of the reasons that most marriages fail is because there is a growing sexual incompatibility. It has to be an important part of the equation. Research shows most happily married people in their 70s and 80s still have a functioning sex life and so they should. It's one of the most fundamental aspects of humanity."

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Both admit theirs is a 'jealous, passionate' relationship. "I think it's incredible that I've been fortunate enough to meet the woman I love. I know happy marriages come in different shapes and guises but I like the fact we're both possessive of one another," Richard told The Mirror. "If Judy or I were to have an affair, it would be the end." She agreed: "I just can't bear to think of it. We both think the other is the most precious thing in the world. A good marriage is a blessing."

Nia Dalton