1. Judy Finnigan’s First Marriage
Full name: Judith Adele Finnigan, born 16 May 1948 in Newton Heath, Manchester
First husband: Journalist David Henshaw. They married (date unspecified) and had twin sons, Daniel and Thomas, born in 1977
This marriage eventually ended in divorce. In interviews and Judy’s autobiography, she reflects that the marriage was unhappy, contributing to her next chapter.
2. Richard Madeley’s First Marriage
Education & early career: Born in 1956, Madeley started at BBC Radio Carlisle at 19, later joining Granada Reports in the early 1980s, where he met Judy
First wife: Lynda Hooley from Carlisle. They married around 1977 when he was 21, but the union lasted only 5 years, ending in divorce in early 1980s
He later admitted that the marriage was “a mistake” and confessed to having multiple affairs during that time
3. Meeting & New Beginnings
Connection: In 1982, both Judy (married to David Henshaw) and Richard (to Lynda Hooley) were working at Granada Television and became close
Both described their previous marriages as unfulfilling and, after some personal conflict, divorced their spouses.
The mornings of 1986 marked their marriage in Manchester, in a ceremony characterized by Judy wearing a white coat and boots, and Richard sporting a distinctive skinny tie.
4. Blended Family & New Life Together
Judy’s twin sons Dan and Tom (b. 1977) became Richard’s stepchildren, a role he embraced wholeheartedly—even traveling to Greece to study step-parenting
They had two children together:
Jack Christopher, born 1986 in Manchester.
Chloe Susannah, born 1987, also in Manchester
Before becoming the famed duo behind This Morning and Richard & Judy, both were already experienced in television and navigating the challenges of marriage and parenthood. Their individual journeys—Judy’s role as a mother of twins and Richard’s coping with a failed marriage—helped forge a deep connection. Together, they created a blended family and embarked on a partnership that would shape British daytime TV for decades.
