Richard Madeley pulled out of hosting Good Morning Britain last week after falling ill, and it’s not the first time the presenter has faced health issues
Richard Madeley caused worry last week when he withdrew from Good Morning Britain due to sickness. After being replaced by ITV News editor Paul Brand for two days, the 69-year-old host made his comeback and told audiences he had been battling Covid, and it’s not his first encounter with health troubles over the years.
Perforated eardrum
In 2024, Richard disclosed that a Covid infection he picked up in France made him deaf in one ear, which sparked difficulties on Good Morning Britain. Detailing the “big mistake” that made the problem deteriorate, he revealed: “After I was no longer infectious, I took the short-haul flight home. Big mistake.
“A build-up of fluid behind my right eardrum burst it as the cabin air pressure fluctuated. Perforated eardrums, my hearing consultant reassured me, almost always repair themselves. I just had to be patient,” he told The Spectator.
“But it turned out it was everyone else who had to be patient. Conversations were now peppered with: ‘Pardon?’ ‘What?’ ‘Say again’ ‘Speak up!’ It drove my wife mad. And the sensation of deafness on only one side meant my world seemed permanently off-kilter,” he added. “Try walking around with a finger stuck in one ear and you’ll see what I mean.”
Richard went on to say that the condition had also forced him to lip-read during interviews on Good Morning Britain, and struggle hearing what people said in busy restaurants and pubs. After enduring his “muted new world” for five months, he claimed his hearing then “returned overnight”.
He recalled: “Went to bed deaf, woke up to hear the birds singing outside. Perfection miraculously healed. So if it happens to you, hang on in there.”
Effects of smoking
Once a smoker, Richard has previously revealed how a chilling interview spurred him to kick the habit.
The presenter, who described himself as having “a very addictive personality,” explained that this characteristic resulted in a routine of puffing through three packets of cigarettes a day.
Richard eventually made a U-turn on his habit after the death of journalist John Diamond left him “so shaken”.
John, Nigella Lawson’s first husband, died in 2001 from terminal throat cancer triggered by smoking. Though the father-of-two managed to ditch the addiction, its consequences still persist.
Writing in his Daily Express column, Richard revealed he has been left with a permanently compromised respiratory system and a greater cancer risk compared to those who have never smoked.
He reflected: “Cigarettes killed my father at 49 (I was 21 when he died). Yet still I continued to smoke, despite numerous attempts to give up. I finally managed to stop aged 40, after interviewing John Diamond, Nigella Lawson’s first husband, who was dying (horribly) from smoking-induced throat cancer.
“I was so shaken by the encounter I never touched a cigarette again. Even so, I’ve been left with a permanently impaired respiratory system, and my cancer risk will never return completely to normal.”
Heart disease concerns
Following the deaths of his grandfather, father, and uncle from heart attacks, Richard remains “conscious” about his health and takes steps to reduce any potential heart disease risk.
The presenter believes their deaths resulted from poor individual lifestyle decisions – including heavy smoking and carrying excess weight – and therefore doesn’t worry about a strong hereditary connection.
However, he takes preventative measures to maintain his fitness and health, including walking 10,000 steps daily and monitoring his diet carefully.
He also drinks a daily shop-bought yoghurt formulated to help reduce cholesterol levels.
Speaking about his regime, he said: “I’m active around the house, my kids say I’m very annoying because I never really sit down. I’m always doing stuff on my feet. I’m on my feet a lot and I walk a lot. I don’t do a step count, but I’m sure I do over 10,000 steps a day. We all know that walking is one of the most effective exercises you can do.”
While a guest on The Dr Hilary Show podcast, he continued: “My blood pressure is very good and my cholesterol level is low. I take a little supermarket-bought statin every day – a little yoghurt – which does help lower cholesterol, and I have regular health checks.”
Dementia fears
Richard and his wife of many years, Judy Finnigan, have spoken candidly about their fears of developing dementia.
Speaking to The Guardian, he confessed the condition “frightens [him] in ways death doesn’t.” He continued: “These days forgetting things comes with a pang of panic. So far, I seem to have avoided it, but the worry won’t go away.”
Sharing his fears in her Daily Express column, Judy said the “dramatic rise” in life expectancy has “come at a price”.
She explained: “It’s brought with it a host of anxieties mostly unknown to our grandparents’ generation, and the generations before. Sadly, today it’s the leading cause of death in the country.”
The former This Morning presenter disclosed that such concerns often prompt them to constantly monitor themselves, and question whether small memory lapses could signal early stages of the illness.
She went on: “Is forgetting why we just opened the fridge an early warning sign? Or mislaying the car keys? Or struggling to remember if it was William Hague or Ian Duncan Smith who took over from John Major as Tory leader? Of course, generally it’s others – family, friends, or colleagues – who make that first, hesitant diagnosis.”
Source: Mirror
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