Richard Madeley has confessed that he was not prepared for his first marriage, describing it as “ridiculous” and “very unfair” to his ex-wife. Speaking on Matt Willis’s podcast “On The Mend,” Richard, who has been married to Judy Finnigan for nearly 40 years, candidly discussed the “failure” of his initial marriage.
The veteran presenters Richard and Judy first met in 1982 while working together at Granada alongside Tony Wilson. At that time, both were married – Richard to Lynda Hooley and Judy to David Henshaw. Richard tied the knot with Lynda at the young age of 21, but their marriage only lasted five years before ending in divorce. Reflecting on this period, Richard admitted he was too young and overly optimistic.
During the podcast conversation, Richard revealed that both he and Judy had previous marriages that ended in divorce. He acknowledged his own immaturity during his marriage to Lynda, stating that he blamed himself for the marriage’s failure due to getting married too young and being unprepared.
When asked about any lessons learned from his first marriage, Richard emphasized that he should have waited longer before tying the knot, taking full responsibility for the collapse of the relationship. He mentioned that had he met Judy a decade later, things might have turned out differently.
Richard compared his quick engagement with Lynda to his gradual relationship development with Judy, highlighting that they were colleagues for years before considering a romantic involvement. Judy remembered their first meeting vividly, recalling Richard’s attire and her initial impressions of him.
The couple eventually got married in 1986, had two children together, Chloe and Jack, and now enjoy five grandchildren. Judy also has twin sons, Dan and Tom, from her previous marriage.