Judy Finnigan admits Richard Madeley marriage 'can be hard' in candid admission

23 June 2024 , 18:55

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Richard and Judy have previously opened up about their marriage (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Judy Finnigan once confessed that marriage can be "hard" and opened up about her spats with her husband Richard Madeley.

The iconic duo from This Morning have been hitched for 38 years, having said 'I do' in 1986 following their previous marriages ending. Richard was first wed to Lynda Hooley from 1977 until their split in 1983, while Judy parted ways with her initial beau David Henshaw the same year she married Richard.

In a candid chat in 2023 with Woman's Own magazine, Judy revealed: "We've been married 37 years and marriage is hard, there is no doubt about it. We might sometimes be absolutely furious with each other and not speaking." She wisely noted: "But in the end, that kind of thing doesn't matter, especially as you get older."

She continued: "We have so many similar interests, and have always respected each other's opinions, which is why we managed to work so well together." Richard too has spilled the beans on their "rows" and the challenges of keeping professional while co-hosting live TV post-argument. Speaking to podcast hosts Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy, he admitted: "If you've had a row, you can't hide it."

Richard and Judy previously hosted This Morning together (No credit)

He reminisced: "I do remember this, when Judy and I were presenting together, you know, every day, a bit like 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."

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"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." In an interview on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast, Richard delved into their relationship, stating that they are as close as ever, but described them as "semi-detached". Judy added: "We are incredibly close, we always have been."

"Obviously, I think working together for so long has bonded us more tightly than if we had two completely separate jobs. I think the thing is, when you're presenting a show like the kind that we presented, it's very instinctive, you're doing interviews all the time."

Richard further explained: "I can see that from the outside, it looks as if... as you say, we were bonded in our professional lives together and now we're not, but actually, here on the inside, we still are. So we're not actually as detached, I suppose we're a bit semi-detached, but we're not detached in the way that it might seem to outsiders."

Daniel Bird