Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have been married for almost four decades after meeting at Granada Television in Manchester. Since then, they’ve welcomed two children, co-presented and even ran their own talk show together. However, Richard has revealed that before their 1986 wedding, he underwent a two-week test where he eventually realised that Judy was in fact ‘the one’. Speaking on Busted star Matt Willis’ On the Mend podcast, the Good Morning Britain presenter said he took himself on a two-week solo trip because he wanted to be certain he was prepared to become a stepfather to Judy’s twin sons, Dan and Tom, from her previous marriage.
“Judy and I worked together for years before we even talked about the prospect of getting together,” Richard told Matt. “One of Judy’s main concerns was obviously her kids. They, you know, came first front and foremost in any move that she might make. I remember her saying to me when it became clear that we were falling for each other and we were tentatively beginning to talk about maybe having a life together, ‘you’ve got to understand I come in a three pack — it’s me and Tom and Dan.'”
“So 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. I didn’t want to say with super confidence ‘Oh yeah, it’ll be fine, I’m happy to be a stepfather.’ I needed to know that I could deliver and that I meant it, that I really meant it. So I went away for two weeks and just thought — basically sat on a beach for two weeks and just thought quite deeply about the future and about how I felt about it. And I felt very comfortable with it.”
“We went away for a week together, all four of us. We rented a cottage in Cornwall just as a little trial to see how we all got on. And it was fantastic. We had a great time. And that kind of sealed it,” he said.
© ShutterstockJudy’s twin sons have largely kept their lives out of the spotlight
Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley’s love story
Richard and Judy have been married for close to forty years since meeting at Granada Television in Manchester. They were best known for being the original presenters of This Morning before they launched their early evening talk show, which ran between 2001 and 2009. The couple welcomed their first son together, Jack, and they tied the knot that same year. It’s been reported that he works in talent management and that he is married to his wife, Issy. Fans were given a glimpse inside Jack and Issy’s wedding back in 2021 when Jack’s younger sister, Chloe, shared some snaps on her Instagram.
© Chris Radburn – PA Images, GettyJudy and Richard also share two children, Chloe and Jack
In 1987, the couple welcomed their daughter, Chloe. The 38-year-old is somewhat better known than Jack thanks to her TV work. She’s also active on social media and boasts more than 280,000 Instagram followers. From 2018 and 2023, Chloe was married to rugby player James Haskell. Away from her career in the public eye, she works as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. The Good Morning Britain host is also stepfather to Tom and Dan, Judy’s twins from her first marriage to David Henshaw.
WATCH: Chloe and Judy Finnigan laugh at Richard Madeley on I’m A Celebrity
