Richard Madeley has confessed that he was ill-prepared for his first marriage, describing the relationship as “absurd” and “very unjust” towards his ex-wife. Speaking on the podcast “On The Mend” hosted by Matt Willis, Richard, who has been married to Judy Finnigan for nearly four decades, candidly discussed the “failure” of his initial marriage.

Richard and Judy first met in 1982 while working together at Granada alongside Tony Wilson, despite both being married at the time – Richard to Lynda Hooley and Judy to David Henshaw. At the young age of 21, Richard’s marriage with Lynda lasted only five years before ending in divorce, with Richard admitting that he was too immature and overly optimistic at the time.

In a conversation with Matt, Richard acknowledged that both he and Judy had previous marriages, but he confessed that he was not mature enough during his first marriage with Lynda. He took responsibility for the failure of the marriage, attributing it to his youth and lack of readiness.

Reflecting on his age at the time of the marriage, Richard expressed regret, stating that marrying at 21 was unreasonable and unfair to his first wife. He emphasized that he was not prepared for such a commitment at that stage in his life.

When asked about lessons learned from his first marriage, Richard reiterated that marrying too young was his primary mistake. He accepted full responsibility for the collapse of the marriage, acknowledging that timing played a crucial role in its failure.

Richard compared his rushed engagement with Lynda to his gradual relationship with Judy, highlighting that they took their time getting to know each other before considering a romantic involvement. Judy fondly recalled her first impression of Richard, noting his attire and physical appearance.

The couple eventually tied the knot in 1986 and went on to have two children together, Chloe and Jack, and now enjoy the company of five grandchildren. Judy also has twin sons, Dan and Tom, from her previous marriage.