RICHARD Madeley said goodbye to his “beloved wife Judy” on Good Morning Britain as he isolated in Wales ahead of I’m A Celebrity. It comes as The Sun revealed the Richard and Judy star had signed up for an estimated £200,000 and will head into Gwrych Castle near Abergele, North Wales, this weekend. The flagship […]
RICHARD Madeley said goodbye to his “beloved wife Judy” on Good Morning Britain as he isolated in Wales ahead of I’m A Celebrity.
It comes as The Sun revealed the Richard and Judy star had signed up for an estimated £200,000 and will head into Gwrych Castle near Abergele, North Wales, this weekend.
The flagship series is returning to Wales for a second year due to ongoing coronavirus travel restrictions, preventing filming at its usual location of the Australian jungle.
Appearing on GMB via a recorded video today, Richard, 65, revealed he had been isolating for 10 days in a cottage near the castle ruins.
Showing off the stunning scenery, he said: “I’ve been in quarantine for about 10 days now, and if any of you have been in quarantine my god it’s boring, I mean I’d welcome any trial just for something to do.
“It’s very pretty though, I’m on a Welsh farm, nice views and all the rest of it but I just want to get started.”
Spinning the camera around to show off his new boots, he added: “They’ve given us some of the costume that we’ve got to wear in the castle.
“Why we have to wear jungle boots in the castle I can’t guess, unless it’s to keep the rats out. There are ghosts as well apparently in the castle so that will be fun.
“Anyway my lips are sealed beyond all that. I hope you can watch.
“I want to say a final bye to my beloved wife Judy, bye Judy, bye kids, see you on the other side, wish me luck.”
Bookmakers William Hill have placed Richard at the very top of line-up for who will be voted by the public to do the first grim trial of the 2021 series.
The Saturdays’ Frankie Bridge and Coronation Street actor Simon Gregson and are in a close second and third place.
The bookmakers have placed the host at odds of 2-1, with Simon and Frankie at 9-2.
Confirming he’d signed up Richard, best-known for hosting This Morning alongside wife Judy Finnigan, said he had finally accepted ITV’s offer to appear on the show after many years of saying no.
He said: “Up until now, I’ve always been perfectly happy watching as a viewer but, recently, I realised I’m A Celebrity is no longer just a TV programme.
“It’s become part of the fabric of British life and part of the countdown to Christmas.
“It suddenly hit me that everyone talks about it the next day and I suddenly wondered what it would be like to be there rather than watching. I realised the time had come to experience it.”
He added: “My children think it is hilarious I am taking part.”
Richard has been married twice.
His first marriage to Lynda Hooley only lasted five years (1977 to 1983) before the couple were divorced.
Richard has since stated that he believes the marriage was a mistake, and he had ten affairs during that time.
He met Judy Finnigan in 1982 when they worked on separate programmes for Granada TV.
The famous pair married in 1986 in Manchester.
They have two children together Jack (born 1986) and Chloe (born 1987).
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