Exclusive:
Richard Madeley says ITV is now a “feel-good” place to work as he heaps praise on the Good Morning Britain team
Richard Madeley has insisted there are no “dark phantoms” hanging over ITV Daytime after Philip Schofield quit the show in disgrace last year. The former This Morning host dramatically resigned in May 2023 after confessing to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger staff member, sparking an external review into the scandal. But Good Morning Britain host Richard, 68, who returned to TV in 2017, insisted the saga has been left in the past by those that work on the channel.
He said: “ITV is a healthy team to be a part of. There is a real feel-good factor, the show has a good heart and there are no dark phantoms hovering. It is a feel-good and happy place to work and if it wasn’t I wouldn’t bother. I do the job because I enjoy it. I get up at bloody 4am, which is horrible, it’s a nightmare. I hate that. But then I get into work and I am a part of the nation’s conversation as they are waking up, surrounded by a brilliant team, and I absolutely love it.”
Richard, who alongside wife Judy Finnigan was a staple of morning TV from 1988 to 2009, sparked fears amongst fans earlier this month after falling poorly. Kate Garraway and Sean Fletcher were drafted in to host GMB after he was taken unwell. But asked if he had any plans to leave the show, Richard said: “I have no plans to leave. I’ll work there for as long as they want me.”
He continued: “The only reason I do it is because it’s fun. I have had my main career arc. I am 68 now so I’ve been around for a long time. I only do things now that I enjoy. I’ve been doing GMB for quite a few years now. I seem to be sharing it with Ed Balls, he does two weeks and I do two weeks and that’s how it’s settled down. And I do get a kick out of it.
“I did straight news journalism for 20 years and I seem to be back in that now and it reminds me how much I enjoy it. I’ve been a part of some really good teams over the years, like This Morning and The Richard and Judy show. I’ve also worked with some s**t teams. But GMB is an amazing team to work for. They are so professional and I love being a part of it. They are really professional, focused and take a real pride in the programme. The amount of detail is phenomenal. Almost every second is thought about and polished. The ratings are chased hard. It’s a professional team full of very very good journalists.”
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