Richard Madeley has opened up about his own heartbreaking experience with grief, revealing that his wife Judy Finnigan lost their first child, a baby son, before they welcomed their two children. Speaking ahead of Baby Loss Awareness Week, the 62-year-old revealed his was left devastated after he was told their unborn child had died during the 16-week scan. "I'll never forget the nurse hurrying towards me, an agonised expression on her face: 'Mr Madeley, you need to come this way,'" he told The Telegraph.
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have been married since 1986
"I joined Judy in the examination room. Tears were streaming down her face: 'It's died, Richard. It's died.' The scan had revealed a perfect foetus with a non-existent heartbeat." Richard, who married Judy in 1986 before welcoming second son Jack and daughter Chloe, revealed that there was no indication that their baby had died. "Something - we never discovered exactly what - had gone wrong at a critical stage of his development," he added. "It was utterly devastating: no warning; no earlier, gentle, indication of the possibility of catastrophe. Our baby had just died. And he was still in Judy's womb."
MORE: Chloe Madeley shares funny throwback photo with parents Richard and Judy
Discussing the moment Judy gave birth following the devastating news, Richard continued: "My heart broke for her as I waited outside the delivery room. What a dreadful experience: to go through the motions of childbirth, knowing what the grim outcome would be." Three months after their horrific ordeal, Judy became pregnant with their son Jack, now 32. Former This Morning presenter Judy is also a mother to twin sons, Tom and Dan, from a previous relationship.
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