Richard Madeley has opened up on the moment his father died, saying he ‘had a heart attack on the spot’ weeks after his wedding
Good Morning Britain graced the telly again on Thursday (12 June), as presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid served up another packed edition of the ITV breakfast programme.
The dynamic duo delivered a raft of headlines and news updates to ITV audiences. They also welcomed Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy Dingle, for a heartfelt live chat.
Lisa talked about her character’s current dramas in the soap, alongside touching on her personal battles with loss, mentioning the passing of both her mother and past Strictly Come Dancing partner Robin Windsor.
This poignant discussion led Richard to share his own heart-wrenching memory of his dad’s sudden demise in 1977, which occurred just days after he wed Lynda Hooley.
Richard Madeley opened up about his father’s death on GMB(Image: ITV)
Reflecting on that time, Richard shared: “I remember when my father died. He died on the spot, had a heart attack when he was 49. Huge shock. I was a breakfast producer then, a radio producer.”
He recounted the difficult period following his father’s death: “I remember I had a week off to come to terms with it. After the funeral, I went in, and the guy that I worked with didn’t say a word. He didn’t say, ‘how are you, or what happened’, he obviously felt it was best not to talk about it.”
He continued, expressing understanding yet disagreement with his colleague’s reaction: “I don’t blame him for that. He couldn’t have been more wrong. You want people to come up to you and talk to you. You need that trigger to talk.”
Moreover, Thursday’s episode saw them join forces with their colleague Richard Arnold, who came bearing the latest scoops in showbiz and television, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain (Image: ITV)
During his segment, Richard paid homage to the legendary musician Brian Wilson following the announcement of his passing on 11 June.
Brian was a founding member of the iconic Beach Boys. The lead singer and co-founder of the band died at the age of 82, with his cause of death yet to be disclosed.
“A real pop pioneer. He co-founded one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, the Beach Boys, rivalling The Beatles,” Richard shared with his audience.
He also reminisced about his own discovery of the Beach Boys back in the 1970s, admitting he played their records “constantly” and was “very much a Beach Boys fan”.
