Richard Madeley has a reputation for being a charming and honest co-host on a number of shows, including Good Morning Britain.
A well-known figure in British media, he has gained audiences with his witty and honest communication style. Outside of television, Madeley is well-known for playfully turning down offers to compete in Strictly Come Dancing, claiming his dislike of spandex as a justification.
He’s laughably called the show the “stuff of nightmares,” rejecting the idea of appearing on it.
Richard Madeley dislikes Strictly Come Dancing
The veteran broadcaster voiced his dislike for the BBC ballroom competition in a discussion about it on his ITV program, Good Morning Britain. Madeley gave a negative response when asked if he would consider joining the show, saying that the idea of performing the jive was “the stuff of nightmares.”
In response to lighthearted recommendations and a Photoshopped image of himself striking a dance pose, Madeley giggledly restated his refusal to take part in Strictly, emphasizing, “I rest my case!” His comments regarding these rumors on Good Morning Britain are not new.
For Richard Madeley, jive is a major turnoff
Richard Madeley disclosed in 2019 that he had received an invitation to compete on Strictly Come Dancing, but he couldn’t see himself in spandex. He openly admitted that he had consistently turned down invitations from the show, citing the jive in particular as a major turnoff. Madeley said he would feel ridiculous if he had to wear spandex and a lurex for the dance routine.
Fans saw Coronation Street’s Ellie Leach and her partner Vito Coppola crowned champions as the most recent season of Strictly Come Dancing came to an end. In a hotly contested competition, actors Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier from EastEnders secured the runner-up positions.
More about Richard Madeley
An English writer and television presenter of great renown is Richard Madeley. He co-hosted the Channel 4 chat show Richard & Judy from 2001 to 2008, as well as This Morning on ITV from 1988 to 2002, alongside his wife, Judy Finnigan.
Additionally, Madeley has worked on her own initiatives, such as the 2007 season of Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway and her 2007 stint as a stand-in host for BBC Radio 2’s The Chris Evans Breakfast Show. From 2012 to 2017, he was the primary stand-in presenter for Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff.
Since then, he has been one of the three main stand-in presenters for the ITV breakfast program Good Morning Britain.
Richard Madeley was born in Romford, Essex, on May 13, 1956. His father, journalist Christopher Holt Madeley, came from a family that had previously been tenant farmers at Kiln Farm in Shawbury, Shropshire. Mary Claire, née McEwan, his mother, was a Canadian. Growing up in such a multicultural home, Madeley went to Brentwood’s Shenfield High School.
The career of Richard Madeley
Richard Madeley started his career in broadcasting at the age of 19 when he joined BBC Radio Carlisle. He first met Judy Finnigan, his future wife, when he was working at Granada Reports in the early 1980s. After Channel 4 approached them to host a similar show called Richard & Judy, which ran for an hour in the early evenings and was produced by Cactus TV, the duo left This Morning in 2001.
A TV quiz phone scam involving the daily phone-in competition You Say We Pay led to Madeley and Finnigan’s public apology in February 2007.
They made the decision to halt the quiz while the police conducted additional investigation. According to media reports, the couple may be interviewed by police as a result of police inquiries. It was discovered that winners were chosen in the first ten minutes of the show, despite the hosts’ repeated requests for callers to take part.
Madeley and Finnigan denied any involvement in the scam, even though Channel 4 admitted that it may have run for two series.
Richard & Judy ended in July 2009 due to declining viewership, with the presenters blaming the decision on viewers having trouble finding the program. The couple carried on their literary pursuits by participating in the Richard & Judy Book Club, which aired on the Watch digital channel.