This Is Your Life: Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan

Richard MADELEY (1956-) and Judy FINNIGAN (1948-)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan This Is Your Life

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, television presenters, were surprised by Michael Aspel while presenting a live broadcast of ITV's This Morning programme from The London Studios.

Richard, who was born in Romford, began his journalistic career as a reporter with Brentwood Argus before becoming a news producer with BBC radio Carlisle and later a presenter with Border and Yorkshire Television. Judy, who was born in Newton Heath, joined the BBC as a production secretary before becoming a researcher and, later, a television reporter.

They met in 1982 while working for Granada Television in Manchester and married in 1986. Two years later, a joint appearance presenting the first ITV Telephon led to them launching the new ITV magazine programme, This Morning - and they quickly established themselves as the undisputed king and queen of daytime television.

Judy: "I'm absolutely gobsmacked!"
Richard: "Nice one! Very good, very good – are we still on air?"

programme details...

Edition No: 962
Subject Nos: 936-937
Broadcast date: Mon 6 Jan 1997
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 11 Dec 1996
Venue: unknown
Series: 37
Edition: 15
Code name: Couple

on the guest list...

Claire - Richard's mum
Anne - Judy's mum
Dan - Judy's son
Tom - Judy's son
Lily Savage
Joan Harris
Liz - Richard's sister
Roger - Judy's brother
Paul Dedman
Brian Davies
Dianne Nelmes
Denise Robertson
Dr Chris Steele
Loulla Astin
Stewart Astin
Jeremy Beadle
Jack - son
Chloe - daughter
Barbara Windsor
Kevin Lloyd
Frank Carson
Paul Nicholas
Matthew Kelly
William Roache
Steve Wright

production team...

Researcher: Ruth Malone
Writer: Alec Lom
Directors: Steve Docherty, Paul Kirrage
Associate Producer: Sue Green
Executive Producer: John Longley
Producer: John Graham

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Presenting Life

celebrating the hosts

Family Life

keeping it in the family

two's company

Screenshots of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan This Is Your Life

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan recall their experience of This Is Your Life in their autobiography...

As I stood there, reflecting a moment on our new surroundings and new life, I remembered the occasion when, like so many other people, we'd been caught out by Michael Aspel for his programme This Is Your Life. We already knew by then that he'd tried to do us once before, but had cancelled that attempt because of a leak. Then, late in 1996, we turned around, just as This Morning was ending, to find him standing behind us. We knew immediately why we'd been getting so many false count-downs during that day's show. I had smelled a rat, and I knew something was going on, but I hadn't guessed what.

Our then editor, Jeff Anderson, kept saying in our earpieces, 'We've got to allow a bit more time for the weather.'

'Why?' we kept replying whenever we could. 'What's going on?'

'Oh, well, there's this little child with a present for Fred who's come in specially, from miles and miles away...'

It all sounded pretty unconvincing to us, and we were totally astonished when, just before the end of the show, all the team, production and researchers, suddenly appeared in the studio, followed by Michael Aspel. I just couldn't believe it. I was flabbergasted, and not a little dismayed. But, on these occasions, like it or not, you have to be a good sport and go along with it. Before you have time to collect yourself, you're whisked off in a limo and not left alone for a single moment lest you do a runner. The This Is Your Life team is very used to calming people down, and the guy who was with us did his best to do this by keeping up a non-stop stream of conversation before unloading us from the car and taking us into a dressing room which I swear had a guard placed outside the door!

When, after being given a glass of champagne to calm our nerves, we were taken down to the studio, we discovered that Michael Aspel had left his glasses somewhere and nothing could happen until these were found. When we finally did the show, true to This Is Your Life form, all our relatives, friends and colleagues, past and present, popped out of the woodwork, one by one, to greet us.

I was in shock, in an absolute daze throughout. It's a strange, rather creepy experience, with a huge embarrassment factor tossed in, and I completely understand why some people effuse to go through with it. That course of action, though, would have taken more guts than I've got when Michael Aspel's around! It is also, of course, a great honour.

Now, whenever I watch This Is Your Life, I always empathise with how the person is feeling. Actors are usually fine because they're natural performers on any stage but where others are concerned I can always tell who's enjoying it and happy to be there, and who's covering up, dying of embarrassment, and longing to get off air.

Series 37 subjects