Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley opened up about his failed first marriage to wife Lynda Hooley.
The pair tied the knot in 1977 but got divorced in 1983. Richard previously admitted to The Guardian that the marriage was a “mistake”.
In 1986, Richard got married to fellow presenter Judy Finnigan, with whom he shares two children — son Jack, 39, and daughter Chloe, 38.
They first met in 1982 when he joined Granada to present alongside Tony Wilson and Judy. At the time, Judy was also married to David Henshaw.
Richard Madeley opens up about marriage to his first wife
During an appearance on Matt Willis’ podcast, On The Mend, Richard offered an insight into his first marriage.
As far as Richard is concerned, he was “simply not mature enough” to be married to Lynda. He also noted that he and Judy being previously married helped their own relationship to survive.
“So, we both know what it is to fail, and I certainly – and I always said this – I certainly blame myself for the failure of my first marriage because I got married… I simply got married too young. I was way too optimistic,” he said.
When asked how old he was when he first walked down the aisle, Richard said: “21; it’s just ridiculous. It’s too young, and it was very unfair on my first wife, Lynda, because I wasn’t ready for it, and I was simply not mature enough.”
“I thought I was, but I wasn’t, and, you know, we both got our fingers burnt because of that.”
‘Working together for so long has bonded us more tightly’
During an appearance on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, Judy opened up about her and Richard’s bond.
“We are incredibly close, we always have been,” she said.
“Obviously, I think working together for so long has bonded us more tightly than if we had two completely separate jobs,” Judy added.
Read more: Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley called out for being ‘disrespectful’ to ITV co-star
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