Richard Madeley, who is best known for his iconic on-screen partnership with wife Judy Finnegan, 74, turns 67 years old today.
While the former This Morning hosts have enjoyed an incredible 37 years of marriage, things weren’t always smooth sailing for the pair in their respective love lives.
Both journalists were previously married before they found each other, embarking on a steamy forbidden newsroom romance when Richard started working at Granada.
Richard has also been guilty of affairs in his early romantic life, which he has spoken about with transparency.
As the star celebrates his birthday, Express.co.uk takes a deep dive into the presenter’s exciting love life.
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Richard was just 21 years old when he married his first wife
The Good Morning Britain presenter was married to first wife Lynda Hooley from 1977 to 1983.
He has been honest about his past affairs, citing his age as one of the main reasons for his infidelity.
Speaking about how many women he slept with during their six years together, Richard previously told the Mirror: “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.”
Richard and Judy started their romance in the newsroom
Judy first met Richard, who is seven years her junior, when he joined her at Granada as a news presenter.
She recalled in a previous interview how she thought he looked “tall and handsome” when he first walked in.
The journalist was also charged with looking after the “newbie”, as it was custom for an “office mum or dad” to take new arrivals under their wing.
“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?'” he remembered.
Judy was still married to journalist David Henshaw at the time, while Richard was in the process of splitting from Lynda – but that didn’t stop the pair from growing closer.
The pair reportedly couldn’t keep away from each other after going for a meal together, but both have made it clear that it was much more than a “sordid office affair”, as it led to a marriage that is 37 years in the making.
“[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 said.
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Judy was determined to make sure Richard was father material
Judy, who was a mother of two at the time, had some reservations about her relationship with Richard at first.
The journalist was married to first husband David between 1974 and 1986 and the pair shared twin sons Dan and Tom, who were six years old at the start of her relationship with Richard.
“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 recalled in an interview with the same publication.
Richard then headed off to Greece for two weeks with a collection of step-parenting books, explaining that he committed to taking it “very seriously”.
Richard and Judy faced some hard times before welcoming their first child
Before the couple welcomed their children Jack and Chloe, tragedy struck for the pair when Judy suffered a miscarriage and was subsequently forced to give birth.
In the Channel 4 documentary Child of Mine, Richard said his “heart broke” for Judy over the ordeal.
“It was utterly devastating: no warning; no earlier, gentle, indication of the possibility of catastrophe,” he remembered.
“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 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.”
However, things turned around for the couple when they welcomed their first child Jack in 1986 and then daughter Chloe two years later.
That same year, they landed a gig on ITV’s this morning and the rest is history.
Richard hasn’t been afraid to talk about his sex life in the past
The star has been adamant in past interviews that sex is a “very important component” of their relationship.
In an interview with the Mirror, Richard 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,” he continued.
“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. If Judy or I were to have an affair, it would be the end.”
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