Judy Finnigan beside a smiling Richard Madeley on This Morning
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Richard Madeley admits wife Judy Finnigan is ‘happy to call it a day’ with her presenting career

Richard and Judy are veteran presenters!

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Richard Madeley recently shared that his wife Judy Finnigan is “happy” to retire from her TV career.

The couple, on screen in Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits in Our Own Words this weekend (September 22), are best known for their presenting skills. However, it appears that Judy has had “more than enough” time on our screens.

In a sit-down chat about his novel, Father’s Day, earlier this year, Richard lifted the lid on his wife’s plans for the future and even admitted the pair don’t always shared a bed…

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan sat on a sofa talking
Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley have been married for 38 years (Credit: This Morning / YouTube)

Richard Madeley and wife Judy Finnigan

In a recent interview with Bella, Richard broached the subject. He detailed: “We did 13 years on This Morning, which is a heck of a long time – seven years in Liverpool, six years in London. And then Channel 4 poached us so we did eight years of Richard & Judy on Channel 4. That was a total of 21 years, which was more than enough. We were sort of pleased actually.

That’s why she hasn’t come back into it. She’s very happy to call it a day and allow me to do my thing.

“Although for my money, Judy was the best presenter I’ve ever worked with – I think she was gifted as a journalist and TV presenter – she never really enjoyed it that much. The actual moment, the broadcasting she did, but all the stuff that goes with it, especially for women on telly, she found it a lot of baggage to carry. And that’s why she hasn’t come back into it. She’s very happy to call it a day and allow me to do my thing.”

Richard Madeley talking on Good Morning Britain
Richard Madeley often presents Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)

Why they don’t sleep together

Judy previously appeared as a panellist on Loose Women in 2015. Meanwhile, Richard has a regularly occurring role on Good Morning Britain.

Although Judy has stepped away from her journalistic roots, it seems she is still Richard’s toughest critic and biggest fan. Discussing Judy’s reaction to his recent book release, he described how Judy has the book on her bedside table and recently read the first two chapters.

He went on to detail: “She did actually WhatsApp me because I’d gone to bed very early to do GMB and when I do that I sleep in the spare bed. She sent me a message that I read in the morning to basically say that she loved it. She really loved it. So that was good.”

Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits In Our Own Words airs on Sunday September 22 on Channel 5 at 4pm.

Read more: Bizarre moment Richard Madeley ‘jumps on’ Kerry Katona to inspect her new nose

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Emily Towers
TV & Showbiz Writer
Emily loves to write about the latest trending news, whether it’s reality TV chaos or Royal drama. She also has a passion for translating editorial content into share-worthy social media posts after spending two years as a social media manager and marketing executive.