After being married for 35 years and on our screens together for around the same time, it’s hard to imagine TV couple Richard and Judy without Richard or without Judy.

The journalist duo, who first met while they were working together back in the early 80s, are one of showbiz’s most recognisable and long-standing couples.

From presenting This Morning together from 1988 to 2001 to fronting their own show, Richard & Judy, the pair are still going strong, with the couple’s daughter, Chloe, 35, even admitting that her parents spend every waking moment together.

So it’s hard to imagine a time before the couple weren’t an item, let alone in other relationships.

But now that you’re invested, let’s take a look into Richard Madeley’s love life, from his first marriage to finally marrying Judy…

Richard was married to his first wife, Lynda, before Judy

When Richard was just 21, he married his first wife, Lynda Hooley. Despite being together for five years, the 66 year old – who has recently addressed whether he'll join I'm a Celeb's All Stars – has spoken out about how he believed the union was a mistake.

He even opened up about his past affairs while they were married, which of course, resulted in a divorce between the two.

GMB’s Kate Garraway lovingly cares for husband Derek Draper during rare day out together

Speaking about the affairs he had during the marriage, he told The Mirror: “Oh lots, numerous, probably in the space of about five years, about 10.”

"Although the marriage had some very happy moments, there was a lot of negativity in it. I'm not using that as an excuse. It's wrong to have affairs, but I was a very young man."

Richard was actually married to Lynda when he first met Judy. However, the former couple were in the process of splitting up.

Despite their attraction to each other, Judy kept Richard at an arms length for her children

With a couple as obsessed with each other as Richard and Judy are, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the pair remember what the other was wearing when they first met. Which was when Richard started his job as a presenter at Granada alongside Judy and Tony Wilson.

According to Judy, he was donning a “pale blue linen suit,” that she thought was “a bit flash.”

Judy then revealed that she was assigned to look after Richard and be his “mummy” – a tradition at Granada where an employee was assigned as a new worker’s mum or dad to help them settle into the job.

Upon their first meeting, it was an instant connection, and – while Judy was still married to fellow journalist, David Henshaw, the father to her two kids, twins, Dan and Tom, 46 – the pair went out for a meal and their love affair began.

However, Judy put a halt on their relationship until she was sure that Richard was mature enough and in it for the long haul for the sake of her children.

Richard then took a two week trip to Greece where he read-up on becoming a step-dad, revealing that he took the job very seriously.

After proving to Judy that he was serious about their relationship, the two got back together a year later. While it was seemingly paradise for a while, the pair faced their own tragedy when Judy was forced to give birth to their stillborn child.

In 1986, the same year they got married, the couple welcomed another child, Jack, 36 and Chloe, 35, a year later.

Fast forward to 2023, and they are doting grandparents.

• To read the very best of today’s OK! content from breaking news to Royals and TV – CLICK HERE
• Phillip Schofield will not return to This Morning for weeks as absence set to continue
• Richard and Judy's 'morning cuddles' with granddaughter as family move in together
• Holly Willoughby's kids join This Morning sofa in rare glimpse at host's sweet family

• For all your daily celebrity news and gossip, sign up to OK!’s newsletter – CLICK HERE

Source: Read Full Article