I’m A Celebrity star Richard Madeley and his wife Judy Finnigan have been through the mill over the years.
Sorely missed from the I’m A Celebrity castle after his hospitalisation, the couple have been touched by tragedy during the course of their marriage.
Early in their relationship the couple suffered a heartbreaking stillbirth and, back in 2018, he described their loss as “utterly devastating”.
Tragedy for I’m A Celebrity star Richard and wife Judy
Richard, who left the castle on Thursday, was expecting his first child with Judy when the tragedy happened.
Judy was 16 weeks pregnant when they discovered at a routine scan that the baby’s heart had stopped beating.
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He also admitted that his “heart broke for Judy” as she was put into an induced labour.
The former This Morning stars went on to have two healthy children, son Jack – now 35 – and daughter Chloe, 34.
But Richard has never forgotten that dreadful day.
‘Tears streaming down her face’
Three years ago, Richard spoke about their devastating stillbirth during Baby Loss Awareness Week.
The Good Morning Britain star was also keen to stress that men need time to grieve for lost babies, too.
Richard told The Telegraph: “It was our first baby together [she had twins from her first marriage] and there had been no cause for concern.
“But I’ll never forget the nurse hurrying towards me, an agonised expression on her face: ‘Mr Madeley, you need to come this way?'”
Richard was taken to an examination room, where he found Judy “with tears streaming down her face”.
Judy then broke the news to him that their baby had died.
“It was utterly devastating: no warning; no earlier, gentle, indication of the possibility of catastrophe.
“Our baby had just died,” Richard said.
Judy was put into an induced labour the following day, before being discharged from hospital several days later.
The pair went away to France in an attempt to grieve, but the change of scene failed to make things any easier.
‘It was torture’
Richard remembered: “The sun shone, but every beach restaurant seemed to be crammed with newborns, cooing in their mothers’ arms.
“It was torture for Judy, and she – like so many mothers of stillborns or miscarriages – blamed herself; felt she’d somehow failed. It was my job – like countless men before and after me – to assure her that she hadn’t.”
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Thankfully, the couple were later blessed with Jack and Chloe, who couldn’t be more supportive of their dad on this year’s I’m A Celebrity.
The launch episode actually coincided with Richard and Judy’s 35th wedding anniversary and Judy had a front row seat.
Sharing the sofa with Jack, Chloe and hers and Richard’s grandson, Judy cheered her hubby on as he entered the castle.
Commenting on an Instagram snap of the happy bunch, one fan told her: “Gorgeous family #teammadeley all the way.”
- The charity Sands offers help and support to those affected by stillbirth and neonatal death
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