Judy Finnigan admits marriage is hard after 37 years with Richard Madeley

Judy Finnigan has admitted that her marriage to Richard Madeley has not been without its challenges.

The 75-year-old got candid in a recent interview, and insisted that while her 67-year-old husband is “impossible” to buy presents for, the pair do have “similar interests”.

When asked about buying gifts, Judy told Saga Magazine: “Richard is impossible to buy for. He doesn’t need watches or shirts and when I bought him a new aftershave to replace his Sauvage by Dior, he wouldn’t use it.”

She added that the difficult gift-giving situation works both ways.

Judy explained that if she ever wants “a new bag” she would usually buy it herself and then get the Good Morning Britain presenter to “wrap it up”.

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The mum-of-two went on to open up about the pair’s relationship and said: “We’ve been married 37 years and marriage is hard, there is no doubt about it.

“But we have so many similar interests, and have always respected each other’s opinions, which is why we managed to work so well.”

The author added that while the pair may be “absolutely furious” with each other sometimes, it “doesn’t matter” in the end.

“Especially as you get older,” she added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Judy revealed why she would never make a return to This Morning.

Discussing the ITV mainstay – which she and her husband fronted for 13 years – the presenter revealed: “I no longer watch it, and won’t appear on there to talk about my book.

“This isn’t a protest, it’s just a very different show than it was when we were doing it.”

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She added that the show seems to be going through an “extraordinary disaster of a stage” and that she cannot understand why Phillip Schofield left.

Earlier this year, Phillip, 61, called time on the ITV morning show, and announced that he was stepping down with immediate effect.

The departure came weeks after reports of a falling out between himself and former co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

However, Phillip later revealed that he had been having a “consensual on-off relationship” with a younger male colleague on the show.

In a statement, posted to the Daily Mail, he added that it was only after the man started to work on This Morning that it “became more than just a friendship”.

At the time, he added that the “relationship was unwise, but not illegal” and that it was “now over”.

Following Phillip’s statement, Holly, 42, took to social media and wrote: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news.

“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.”

She added that it was “hurtful” to discover that it was “a lie”.

Earlier this month, the mum-of-three announced that she herself was stepping away from hosting the This Morning sofa.

The star again took to social media to break the news and said: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.”

She added: “Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’. It’s been an honour just to be part of it’s story and I know this story has many chapters left to go.”

In response, Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment said: “We are sad that Holly is leaving This Morning, but respect her decision which we know will have been extremely difficult for her to make. Holly is one of the best-loved, respected and most accomplished broadcasters in the UK.”

They added that Holly remains a “much-loved member of the ITV family” and that the broadcaster looks forward to working with her “in the future”.

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