Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley , a stalwart of British television, is best known for his dynamic partnership with wife Judy Finnigan. The iconic duo graced ITV's This Morning as hosts for 13 years before their departure in 2001. In a revealing Channel 5 documentary, called Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits - In Our Own Words, the couple reminisced over some of the show's most unforgettable segments.
One particular segment that stood out was when they introduced three couples to participate in a live Viagra test on air. During the late 90s, this bold move involved the couples visiting a hotel and then returning to share their experiences. Judy reflected on the segment, admitting: "Looking back now, yes I'm sure it was incredibly crude but at the same time it felt very energetic and very vibrant.
" Richard chimed in with his perspective: "Everybody was talking about viagra, we went a step further and we tested it live on air." Now 68, Richard recalled how the couples came back after an hour and a half to provide their feedback, reports Gloucestershire Live . In a nostalgic clip, viewers of Channel 5 saw Richard delicately inquire: "Put it this way then, I'll choose my words carefully, was it what you hoped for? Was it everything you hoped for and more?" The question prompted laughter in the studio as one woman confirmed the positive outcome, humorously contemplating skipping work.
Despite the humour at the time, it appears Judy may have reservations about the segment in hindsight. In the revealing documentary, she disclosed: "There was a producer prowling up and down the corridor outside their rooms in the hotel with walkie-talkies. "It's just absolutely, looking back now it's awful!" Nick Bullen, the former editor of This Morning, pointed out that their biggest concern was the possibility of someone having an adverse reaction to the pill.
The documentary also revisited a classic moment where Richard donned the guise of Sacha Baron Cohen's iconic character Ali G to interview his wife, prompting Richard to reminisce: "I know people rip it out of me for doing Ali G and that's fine I completely get why. "But, I do think it was quite a funny script! At home, I used to occasionally drop into Ali G which the kids thought was very funny." During the documentary, as his children made an appearance, their son Jack admitted that he was the instigator behind these impersonations.
Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits is available to watch on My5.
