Richard Madeley's confession 2 decades after Judy's famous NTA wardrobe malfunction
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, once hailed as the king and queen of daytime TV after launching ITV's flagship show This Morning, had a memorable moment at the National Television Awards in 2000 - with Richard only now making a hilarious confession about it.
The pair, who were celebrating their win for hosting duties on This Morning at the time, experienced an unexpected wardrobe malfunction when Judy's dress came undone, revealing her bra to the audience. Unaware of the mishap, Richard mistook the audience's reaction as encouragement for his Ali G impression, which he had previously performed on This Morning. John Leslie, however, quickly came to Judy's rescue, helping her cover up.
Reflecting on the incident during their new Channel 5 documentary, Our Best Bits In Our Own Words, aired on Sunday (September 22), the couple shared their initial confusion at John's actions. Richard, 68, said: "We was blissfully unaware, until John Leslie stood up, and we thought, 'What is he doing'. He raced up the steps, I thought 'What is he playing at', he reached out for Judy and hoisted her dress up."
READ MORE:Madonna looks ageless as she steps out in risqué outfit at a Fashion Week afterparty
READ MORE:EastEnders' Molly Rainford duets with surprise co-star - and fans are all saying the same thing
Judy, 76, admitted that she "didn't notice" her dress malfunction while Richard, 66, was mistakenly thinking fans were shouting for his Ali G impression. He recalled, "As we had come up [on stage] quite a few people had shouted at me, 'Do your Ali G', I thought that's what they were saying, and I was like 'No, I'm not doing it'. It was nothing to do with that, it was all about your dress, but we didn't know."
Their children, Jack, 38, and Chloe, 37, also shared their reactions to the wardrobe mishap in the documentary, with Jack recounting: "I just remember turning around in slow motion towards the telly, and there is mum with her bra out", and Chloe reflecting: "She basically just had her boobs out.", reports the Mirror.
Feeling mortified by the incident, Judy confessed, "It was so awful, I was so embarrassed". In the documentary, Richard and Judy also detailed how their working relationship turned to a romantic one.
Judy told viewers: "Nothing happened, not for a long time after that. It was just, our perceptions of each other changed."
Their working relationship eventually turned into a romantic one, leading to their marriage in 1986. Dianne Nelmes, a former television executive and producer, recalls hearing rumours about their relationship, but initially dismissed them. She said: "Rumours started that Richard and Judy were having an affair and I simply didn't believe it.", reports the Express.
"I remember at one point I got a few journalists together and read the riot act and said, 'Will you stop all this gossip they've got a great chemistry on screen and they are just good friends, so stop it'. Well, I never live that down."
