GMB: Richard says his children didn't 'shine' academically
Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley opened up in a surprising admission concerning his children during a spirited debate about university education with colleague Trisha Goddard.
The television host, Richard Madeley is a proud father to daughter Chloe, 37, and son Jack, 38, whom he shares with renowned wife Judy Finnigan. Additionally, he plays a nurturing role as step-father to Judy's sons Dan and Tom from her former marriage to David Henshaw.
In an honest reveal, Madeley shared that despite all four of his kids attending university, they wouldn't necessarily be deemed scholarly. He explained: "One of them, she'd only been there for two terms, six months. She phoned home one day and said, 'Dad, I'm just not enjoying it here. I don't think it's serving me right. I want to come back and get a job.'"
Madeley encouraged her choice, saying "I said, 'Then do it.' And so she left. And it was the best thing she ever did. So you can always change your mind."
He further expressed his parental philosophy: "I actually think, as parents, I think we'd all probably agree the most important thing is just for our kids to be happy," reports the Mirror.
He confessed that academic excellence wasn't a pressure point at home: "I mean, we didn't put pressure on our kids to do incredibly well academically. I mean, they did okay, but they didn't shine. I didn't care, because they were happy."
His daughter Chloe Madeley briefly attended Leeds Trinity and All Saints College before choosing to give up her academic pursuits in favour of a thriving media career, later establishing herself as a fitness coach and personal trainer, whilst maintaining her roles within the media sphere.
While waxing lyrical about his family, Richard Madeley couldn't resist slipping in an affectionate reference to his darling wife amid discussions of a possible third chapter in the Mamma Mia saga.
He revealed: "My Judy loves Mamma Mia!", suggesting she would be overjoyed with another sequel.
Continuing on a personal note, Richard divulged that he skipped the university experience, choosing instead the hustle and bustle of the newsroom. Reflecting on his decision, he confessed: "I was gonna do English.
"If I hadn't joined the local paper I was going to read English at uni and then get some sort of graduate placement at a newspaper. But I just jumped the queue by six years. I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry I didn't go."
