Good Morning Britain star Richard Madeley has been married to Judy Finnigan for more than 30 years and has now opened up on the couple's decision to sleep in separate rooms.
Richard Madeley has opened up about why he opts to sleep in a separate bedroom from his wife Judy Finnigan when he's presenting on Good Morning Britain.
The veteran presenter, who has become a national treasure alongside Judy since the 1980s, discussed this personal detail on the White Wine Question Time podcast hosted by Kate Thornton. Although Judy quietly stepped back from regular TV gigs nearly ten years ago following her Loose Women stint, Richard said she's "really enjoying" her time away from the small screen.
Richard's role on Good Morning Britain means he has to wake up early to be on air for the show at 6am, which has influenced their sleeping arrangements. To avoid disturbing Judy's sleep, Richard chooses to rest in the spare room on work nights.
On the podcast, he shared: "When I'm doing Good Morning Britain I sleep in the spare room. I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy but I'm okay on my own."
He further elaborated on his decision to not disrupt Judy's sleep, saying: "I wouldn't think of doing that to Judy. Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with."
The topic came as Kate Thornton mentioned Amol Rajan, another presenter with an early schedule, stating he "sleeps better" next to his spouse. Despite having four young children under seven, both Amol and his partner rise early when he's scheduled to helm the Today programme.
Richard Madeley shared a cheeky comment about Amol Rajan's domestic life, quipping: "Amol Rajan's wife must be a saint."
He then reflected on his own experience with Judy Finnigan, saying: "We did This Morning, but the difference between me and Amol there is that Judy and I would get up at the same time."
"The alarm would go off, we'd both get up and roll into our jeans, get in the car, and drive to Liverpool to do the show, and then when we were in London, drive down to the Southbank. So we went to bed at the same time and woke up at the same time."
The TV duo first crossed paths in the 80s while working on separate shows for Granada TV. Richard recalls being smitten after hearing Judy give an executive a verbal lashing for making a sexist remark, revealing: "I thought, wow I'm going to marry her."
In a heartfelt chat with the Guardian back in 2014, he expressed his admiration for Judy. The couple sealed their love with a wedding in 1986 and have two children together. Judy also had two children from her previous marriage.
