Goodbye Richard And Judy

Chat show couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are considering bringing the curtain down on their TV partnership. Richard Madeley said he was looking at some "tantalising" solo opportunities after fearing there is now little left for them to do together as broadcasters. If the popular duo split, I personally feel it will be the end of a TV era.

 
Speaking to Radio 4's Desert Island Discs show, he said: "I think we both feel we have done pretty much all we can do as a partnership in terms of the talk shows, but I think probably we both feel the need to diversify. It has been over 20 years doing the same kind of thing and there are tantalising possibilities in terms of solo projects or doing one-off projects together. I am not saying we will never work together again - I'm sure we will."

Previously, I reported on the poor ratings the couple have had for their latest chat show on digital channel Watch. Viewing figures fell to just 8,000 at one point after last October's launch. They moved from Channel 4, to a great deal of fanfare, where they had been for seven years and enjoyed seven figure audiences. Richard told presenter Kirsty Young: "We knew before we went that however it panned out, the viewing figures would be minuscule. We hadn't jumped into this not knowing and we don't mind. The only disappointment is the channel as a whole hasn't really got traction."

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Video: watch the best of Richard and Judy
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Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have been a daytime fixture for over 20 years now. The couple began their careers on local newspapers and regional TV, but found national fame fronting Granada's This Morning way back in 1988. They remained on the show for the next 13 years. Originally broadcast from Liverpool's Albert Dock, This Morning was later transferred to London studios overlooking the River Thames. The couple's friendly, informative style and personal chemistry had proved popular almost from the first moment they appeared on screen. The rest, as they say, is history…

 

Read on as I take a look at their highs and lows and celebrate 'Richard-isms' (occasional cringe-inducing utterances made by Richard Madeley).

The TV career of Britain's premier husband and wife duo has been marked by only a few lowlights. Back in 1996, they presented Tonight With Richard and Judy on ITV. It was an evening chat show so poorly planned that the couple literally ran out of time during their exclusive and heavily-promoted interview with OJ Simpson. Critics slated them for their "candyfloss" questioning: "About as much depth as a puddle," is one I remember fondly. Needless to say, Tonight With Richard and Judy was canned after just one series. 

 

Then there was the You Say We Pay premium-rate phone competition which ripped-off many callers. The couple apologised to their viewers and expressed shock and anger about the problems.

 

However, they must be congratulated for their longevity and the plethora of A-list stars that they continue to attract (Oscar-winner Charlize Theron was a recent guest on their flagging Watch show). In addition, kudos to them for innovative TV features: their Channel 4 afternoon chat show showcased a Wine Club (no Tesco jokes now people!) and Book Club (nicked from Oprah, but what the hell?). Without a doubt, both advanced the interactive element of television in the UK. Don't underestimate the power of their force either young Jedis; Richard and Judy recommendations have dominated the bestseller lists since the Book Club's inception in 2004.

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Video: watch the best of Richard and Judy
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The unique rapport between this husband and wife team is part of their appeal. Richard's Richard-isms (the kind of things no one else would say…apart from Alan Partridge) may dismay Judy, but fans love him for it. The likes of: "Remember when you had thrush Judy? You had a hell of a time with it!" and "When we were trying to conceive, I would douse my balls in icy cold water before intercourse," are TV gold. 

 

Such utterances, followed by Judy's eye-rolling and exasperated "Oh shut up, Richard!" hiss, have rightly made them cult figures and parody targets. You can't buy that kind of intimacy. In fact, I'm so acquainted with Richard's idiosyncrasies, I've long felt married to him myself…

 

"Is It Because I Is Richard?"

Da Ali G Show  - 2000

It's one of those 'you had to be there' moments. Richard appeared as Ali G on This Morning, in a Judy Finnigan-scripted skit. He spoke 'Bling-lish' (uttering the immortal words "Is it because I is black?" and making references to "Me Judy") and did the hip-hop hand actions too. Despite being cringe-inducing in the extreme, he absolutely nailed it.

 

Day Tripper - 2001

Richard was forced to issue an on-air apology after asserting that Roobarb and Custard originator Bob Godfrey "had to be on drugs" when he created the show. Fans of the cartoon will fondly recall its unique jelly-wobbly animation - it may have prompted Richard's comment. Although an off-the-cuff remark, the lawyers may have been watching... 

 

The 'Dyke' Row - 2004

In an item about tanning, Richard somehow got on to the subject of lesbianism and used the word 'dyke', believing it to be a 'hip' reference. This prompted complaints from viewers that it was homophobic. He apologised and Channel 4 explained that there was no intention to use the word as a term of abuse.

 

Dissing Mr President - 2004 

In an undoubted coup, Richard and Judy secured an interview with former President Bill Clinton. But in toe-curling style, Richard blabbed on and on as he attempted to draw a direct parallel with his own arrest on shoplifting charges, and the attempted impeachment of Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair. "I was in a similar position to you," he said. "I was accused of shoplifting. But unlike you, I knew I was innocent ..." Ouch.

 

Daddy's Girl - 2007

Former Doctor Who Peter Davidson appeared on the show with his actress daughter, Georgia Moffett. A clip from Georgia's new show was played in which her character says of her husband: "I just wish he had a bigger d***." Richard then asked Peter Davidson: "Did Georgia wish you had a bigger d***?" Cue utter astonishment on the faces of father and daughter.

 

Richard-isms

To JK Rowling: "You are unbelievably wealthy. Beyond the dreams of avarice, really."

 

To Rebecca Loos: "Will you end up with a bloke or a woman?"

 

To a young kid with leukaemia: "Hello baldy!"

 

To Sophie Ellis Bextor: "Where did you get your face?"

 

To transvestite artist Grayson Perry: "You're just humming with sexual energy! Is it the fabric? Is it wearing tights?"

 

To Jade Goody: "You're quite sharp. It's just that in the pure sense of the word, you're ignorant."

 

Interviewing a man with a stutter: After watching a clip of the guy struggling with his stutter: "You looked as if your head was going to come off!"

 

To George Martin: "Your short-term memory really is shot! It must drive you nuts!"

 

To a girl with an eating disorder: Unfortunately, she can't stop eating junk food: "Don't take this the wrong way love, but when you were younger did you have a brother or sister who used to steal food off you? You know like dogs do? And that's why they wolf their food down….?"

 

To Lewis Pugh: "You've previously made waves by breaking long-distance swimming records in the Arctic and Antarctic. Tell me, when you swim in the Antarctic, do your nuts go really, really tiny?"

 

To Nancy Sinatra: "Now obviously you loved your father, but do you think you were actually in love with him?"

 

To a woman with an obsession: She had had a crush on a celebrity and had even stalked the star in question. It was all handled sensitively and then Richard said - "So, when did you first realise that you were quite clearly mad?"

 

Interviewing actress Claire Goose: "Weren't you once a story-telling raccoon in a theme park? What sort of stories did you have to tell as a raccoon? Did you have a special raccoon voice?"

 

To a teenage anorexic: "Five Stone? Wow! That's concentration camp thin, that is."