Richard Madeley complains government telling over-70s to stay indoors will tear couples apart as he reveals wife Judy Finnegan received a 12-week quarantine letter
- Richard Madeley, 63, says quarantine letter to over-70s is ‘deeply divisive’
- Say the letter means he cannot go out with his wife of 34 years Judy Finnigan, 71
- Also praised NHS workers for ‘stepping up to the plate’ during pandemic
Richard Madeley has slammed the Government over it’s ‘deeply divisive’ quarantine letter to over-70s, saying it could ‘tear couples apart’.
The television presenter, 63, claimed that people in the older age group were being ‘unfairly targeted’ while other vulnerable groups were not being addressed.
It comes as he revealed that his wife of 34 years, Judy Finnegan, 71, had received the letter from Health Secretary Matt Hancock asking over-70s to stay indoors for 12 weeks.
Richard Madeley has slammed the Government over it’s ‘deeply divisive’ quarantine letter to over-70s, saying it could ‘tear couples apart’ after his wife Judy Finnegan, 71, received a letter telling her remain indoors for 12 weeks
‘Because I am 63 that would mean Judy and I couldn’t go out together. It’s ludicrous,’ he told the Sun.
‘But hold on, what about all the other people with underlying health issues? Someone who is 30 years old with kidney problems or asthma?
‘I think it’s profoundly unfair. You can’t just target one at-risk group. If you do that then you have to target all of the at-risk groups, which would be almost half the population.’
The television presenter, 63, claimed that people in the older age group were being ‘unfairly targeted’ while other vulnerable groups were not being addressed
Richard added that 70-year-olds of today are ‘nothing like’ the same age group in the 1980s, who had a lower life expectancy and were less healthy.
The former This Morning host questioned how the Government could seek to enforce the rule if lockdown was lifted for younger age groups, and whether everyone would need to carry their ‘passport or birth certificate’.
While they may be one of the longest-lasting TV celebrity marriages, Richard said he still feared the rule could ‘tear couples apart’.
The couple live close to Hampstead Heath in north London, where Richard has been walking every day to keep healthy.
Richard added that 70-year-olds of today are ‘nothing like’ the same age group in the 1980s, who had a lower life expectancy and were less healthy
While Judy is also keeping fit, in January 2019 she had a major health scare from stomach ulcers and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
Richard’s criticism of the Government comes after the coronavirus crisis saw him stranded in the United States alongside Judy after President Trump introduced a flight ban.
‘They are being as stoic and upbeat as can be and figuring things out one day at a time, just like the rest of the country,’ said their son Jack.
Luckily, the travel ban only ended up adding a few extra days onto their holiday, and the couple were able to return to the UK last month.
Earlier this year Richard made a triumphant return to This Morning alongside Judy.
The duo, who fronted the ITV daytime show between 1988 and 2001, had been filling in for Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.
Fans declared how pleased they were to see the couple back on the show as some remarked it was ‘surreal’ and that they had ‘gone back in time.’
The couple are now hosting a ‘book club meets chat show’ series that kicks off on Channel 4 tomorrow, with guests including Graham Norton, David Walliams, Judge Rinder and Sandi Toksvig.