Richard Madeley reveals unusual sleeping arrangements with Judy Finnigan

Richard Madeley has opened up about the unique sleeping arrangement he shares with his wife, Judy Finnigan. 

In a recent interview, the Good Morning Britain host revealed that on nights before his early morning starts, he opts to sleep in the spare room to avoid disrupting Judy's rest.

© Gareth Cattermole

"When I'm doing Good Morning Britain, I sleep in the spare room," he explained on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast. 

While he actually prefers sharing a bed with his wife, the practical arrangement works for both of them. "I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy, but I'm okay on my own," he added. 

Richard, who has been married to his former This Morning co-host for over three decades, shared that Judy's sleep is something he knows better than to disturb.

"I wouldn't think of doing that to Judy," he said. "Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with." 

Richard, 68, and Judy, 76, first met in the TV industry in the early 1980s, and by 1986, they were married. The former This Morning presenters went on to welcome two children together, but Judy was already a mum to twin sons from a previous marriage. 

© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

When Richard and Judy met, Richard explained how they fell in love very quickly. Writing in The Telegraph in 2008, he said: "This was no office fling. Within a week of our first secret date, I asked Judy to marry me." 

However, Richard also made the revelation that he had "doubts" about whether he could be a stepdad to Judy's sons, Dan and Tom, whom she welcomed with her first husband, journalist David Henshaw. 

"If I wanted Judy, it would be a package deal – and I had to be absolutely certain I could handle that. Was I really up to the job of a stepfather?" Richard wrote candidly. "We both had our doubts." 

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Judy previously shared her own candid confessions about their marriage. During a chat with Woman's Own, she explained: "We've been married 37 years and marriage is hard, there is no doubt about it. We might sometimes be absolutely furious with each other and not speaking." 

She continued: "But in the end that kind of thing doesn't matter, especially as you get older. We have so many similar interests, and have always respected each other's opinions, which is why we managed to work so well together."