Richard Madeley relives wife Judy's wardrobe malfunction at NTA's
The royal couple of British daytime TV came together on screen to reminisce about their long careers in broadcasting.
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan reflected on some of their most cherished memories and shared the inside scoop on what actually happened behind the scenes in a documentary called "Our Best Bits - In Our Own Words" on Channel 5. The documentary will be on air tonight at 7pm.
The on-screen duo reminisced about the time Judy experienced an awkward wardrobe malfunction and unintentionally revealed her bra while accepting an award with her husband at the National Television Awards in 2000.
The couple who were husband and wife felt embarrassed when Judy's dress slipped down, showing her bra to a large audience on stage. John Leslie, a former presenter, rushed to the stage to cover her up.
Richard was completely unaware of what was happening until John Leslie stood up. "I was so confused, wondering what he was up to," Richard explained. "He hurried up the steps, and I was thinking 'what is going on here'. Then, he reached for Judy and lifted up her dress."
The royal couple of British daytime TV, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, came together once again on camera to reflect on their time in the broadcasting industry in a show called "Our Best Bits - In Our Own Words" on Channel 5.
When we walked onto the stage, a number of people yelled at me to do my Ali G impression. I thought that's what they meant, and I responded saying I wouldn't do it. It turned out they were actually referring to my outfit, but we were unaware of that at the time.
The son, Jack, who is 38 years old, recalled watching the event happen on television 24 years ago. He said, 'I vividly remember slowly turning around to look at the TV, and there is mom showing her bra.' Their daughter, Chloe, who is 36, remarked, 'She was basically exposed.'
Judy explained that she had on a halter neck dress and didn't realize it had fallen down because she was wearing a coat over it.
Before Richard and Judy rose to fame, they were only known by their first names. They were both working as local news reporters and first crossed paths in the Granada Television newsroom back in 1982.
The two discussed their initial meeting at Granada and the immediate connection they felt with each other.
During this period, Judy was married to journalist David Henshaw while Richard was in the process of getting divorced from his first wife, Lynda.
The pair on screen acted out the moment when Judy had a wardrobe mishap and accidentally showed her bra while accepting an award with her husband at the National Television Awards in 2000.
Richard and Judy first crossed paths in 1982 while they were each working on different shows for Granada TV. They tied the knot in 1986.
They came back together on TV in 1988 for ITV's Telethon and their strong connection on screen resulted in them being chosen as the main hosts of This Morning.
Judy recalled the day you first arrived at the newsroom, wearing a silly sky blue suit that made you appear foolish.
I was tasked with looking after you, they had a tradition at Grenada where newcomers would be paired with a more experienced mentor to guide them, and I was the one assigned to you.
Reflecting on the past, Richard recalled: "I remember feeling two hands on my neck and hearing a voice say 'I'm your mummy.' When I turned around, I saw a beautiful blonde woman. It was a strange thing to hear, so I was taken aback and asked 'what?' It turns out she was my designated guardian for that particular event."
Sharing details about their initial kiss, the couple disclosed that it took place following a day of work in Blackpool, inside the back of a black taxi.
We were shooting in Blackpool, and we spent a very hectic day filming promotional videos. We had a great time together. Since the crew had left, we decided to take a black taxi back to Manchester, which was about an hour's drive away.
It was when we were inside the cab, in the dimly lit interior, that we began to develop feelings for each other and shared a kiss.
Judy mentioned that the interaction was subtle, marking the initial change in their relationship. Despite this shift, nothing significant occurred between them for an extended period, but their views of one another evolved.
Richard explained that once their relationship was revealed, there was a great deal of disapproval and envy from others. As a result, the network decided to split them up and they were no longer permitted to work together as a duo on the news.
They came back together on TV in 1988 for ITV's Telethon, and their great connection on screen eventually landed them roles as the hosts of This Morning.
Richard mentioned that once their relationship was revealed, there was a great deal of disapproval and envy. Because of this, the network decided to split them up and they were no longer able to work together on the news.
It was a big surprise when the couple decided to leave ITV after being there for thirteen years and move to Channel 4.
But they came back together on TV in 1988 for ITV's Telethon and their connection on screen eventually resulted in them being chosen as the hosts of This Morning.
It was a big surprise when the couple decided to leave ITV after being there for thirteen years and move to Channel 4.
The two of them wrote a successful book together and started a well-loved Book Club.
All of a sudden, there was silence. Their show on UKTV's latest digital channel, Watch, was canceled in 2009, but they didn't receive any offers to appear on a regular TV channel.
Richard stayed occupied with his duties on his Radio 2 program, Madeley on Sunday, and taking on the role of the main backup presenter on The Wright Stuff and Good Morning Britain.
However, Judy avoided being the center of attention and only made a few TV appearances throughout the years. In 2018, it was revealed that she had decided to leave the entertainment industry.
Judy, who splits her time between her residences in London and Cornwall, shared last year that she doesn't long for the glitz and glamour of show business.
But in 1988, they came back together on TV for ITV's Telethon and their great chemistry on screen eventually landed them the roles as the hosts of This Morning. Judy portrayed Richard as Ali G in 2000.
In another part of the documentary, Richard talked about the one thing he wished he hadn't done in his whole career. He said he regrets not standing up to the TV producers of the late night talk show "Tonight" when they wanted to end an OJ Simpson interview early just to talk to Neil Diamond.
In a different situation, Richard also decided to shave his face while being broadcasted live on television - as part of a quirky news segment on the show.
In a recent interview with The Independent, she mentioned that she no longer has any interest in her former career. Although she enjoyed most of it, she found it fascinating and had the opportunity to meet incredible people while also earning a good salary.
However, I devoted myself to it for around 30 years, and the type of television work I was involved in was intense. It was live and consumed all of my time.
As a mom, I was tired of it. I wanted to live my own life instead of being required to be in a studio at seven in the morning.
In another part of the film, Richard discussed his greatest disappointment in his whole career, which was not resisting the TV producers of Tonight, a live late night talk show that they were hosting. The producers wanted to end an interview with OJ Simpson early so they could interview Neil Diamond, an American singer-songwriter.
He stated that it was embarrassing for them when they went to a commercial break and returned with a singer, describing it as crazy.
Judy explained that ITV required multiple segments for the show. Richard mentioned that they, along with the production team, wanted to dedicate the full show to OJ. However, the boss of ITV at the time thought it was excessive to give a controversial figure like OJ thirty minutes of airtime.
If that happened to me today, I would have insisted that we cannot proceed with the show as it is impossible to cover OJ Simpson in just 12 minutes. It's absurd. We should have declined to participate in the show.
Earlier this year, fans were surprised when they saw Richard Madeley back on This Morning, the daytime show on ITV.
In a surprising twist, the broadcaster took on the role of a guest instead of a host, discussing his upcoming book and answering questions from Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard.
However, at the beginning of his show, Richard sat beside Cat, who is 47 years old, while the original theme song and credits were playing, giving viewers a nostalgic experience.
"Hello and welcome to Wednesday's This Morning with Richard Madeley and Cat Deeley," he greeted. "We have a lot in store for you on today's show - how has your morning been going?"
After starting the show with Cat, he was stopped by Ben Shephard, the current host, who said: 'Sorry. Madeley, please move to the other side of the sofa.'
, Madeley has been a co-host on the morning show Good Morning Britain along with Susanna Reid. Here is a photo of him from April.
Ben, the current host, suddenly interrupted him and instructed Madeley to move to the other side of the sofa.
"Don't take forever in the bathroom," Richard teased before heading over to the guest sofa and allowing Ben, who is 49 years old, to sit down in his place.
Looking back on his time on the show, Richard acknowledged that certain segments, such as a live Viagra trial and encountering a live grizzly bear on air, would not be approved in today's standards.
"He attacked me. It was a large bear. We must have been crazy. Many of the things we did on This Morning, such as the live Viagra test, would never be done today," he explained.
If you did that, Ofcom would be on your case. Having a live grizzly bear in the studio? Crazy.
In a different situation, Richard also shaved his face while being broadcasted live -as part of a news segment on the sometimes quirky program.
He mentioned that the show has been around for a long time. Back in October of 1988, there were people who were envious because they had tried to get the show but Granada was the one who got it.
Many people agreed that the show would be cancelled before Christmas, but ITV decided to keep it on for another year. In 1988, there was no other TV show quite like it.
"We visited the United States and watched popular American daytime TV shows that have been on air for around two decades. We gained a lot of inspiration from them."
We tested it out, launched it, and were sure that we had a winning formula. And guess what? It's still going strong.
Richard and Judy: Our Favorite Moments - In Our Words - Airs at 7pm on Sunday, July 7th on Channel 5.
