Richard Madeley reveals odd solo trip sparked romance milestone with Judy Finnigan

Richard Madeley has opened up about the unconventional way he knew he was ready to take a big step in his relationship with his now-wife Judy Finnigan.

The Good Morning Britain presenter revealed he took himself off on a “solo holiday” before moving in with Judy, because he wanted to be absolutely certain he was prepared to become a stepfather to her twin sons, Dan and Tom, who were seven years old at the time.

While on Busted star Matt Willis' On the Mend podcast, Richard explained: “Judy and I worked together for years before we even talked about the prospect of getting together. One of Judy's main concerns was obviously her kids. They, you know, came first front and foremost in any move that she might make.”

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He continued: “I remember her saying to me when it became clear that we were falling for each other and we were tentatively beginning to talk about maybe having a life together, ‘you've got to understand I come in a three pack — it's me and Tom and Dan.’”

Richard said he took her words to heart and wanted to be sure he could truly commit to the role of stepdad.

He shared: “So I went off to Greece for two weeks on a kind of a solo holiday to think about it because I didn't want to rush. I didn't want to say with super confidence ‘Oh yeah, it'll be fine, I'm happy to be a stepfather.’

“I needed to know that I could deliver and that I meant it, that I really meant it. So I went away for two weeks and just thought — basically sat on a beach for two weeks and just thought quite deeply about the future and about how I felt about it. And I felt very comfortable with it.”

When he returned, Richard told Judy he was ready, and the pair decided to test the waters as a family.

“We went away for a week together, all four of us. We rented a cottage in Cornwall just as a little trial to see how we all got on. And it was fantastic. We had a great time. And that kind of sealed it,” he said.

The couple got married in 1986 and went on to have two children of their own, a son called Jack and a daughter named Chloe, who has since become a TV personality and personal trainer.

Judy's twins, who are now in their late 40s, have chosen to live their lives away from the public eye.

Richard and Judy are one of Britain’s most loved TV duos. The couple co-hosted This Morning from 1988 to 2001, and went on to present their Channel 4 chat show Richard & Judy until 2009.

Although they no longer work side by side, they are closer than ever. While on Kate Thornton's podcast White Wine Question Time recently, Judy shared: “We are incredibly close, we always have been. Obviously, I think working together for so long has bonded us more tightly than if we had two completely separate jobs.”

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