Judy Finnigan says she won't watch ITV's This Morning again

Until 2001, the 75-year-old presenter and author fronted the series with her husband Richard Madeley for 13 years.

The duo started the Richard and Judy Book Club together and have returned to host the programme over the last few years for specials.

She told Saga Magazine: “For 13 years Richard and I hosted This Morning but I will no longer watch it, and won’t appear on there to talk about my book.

Richard and Judy presented This Morning for 13 years until 2001 (Image: Ian West/PA)

“This isn’t a protest. It’s just a very different show than it was when we were doing it.

“We’d interview people about books and you felt like there was some real interest there. I’m not sure there would be now.”

Finnigan released her latest book Roseland, a Cornish-set romantic mystery tale, earlier this month.

Madeley has been presenting on ITV1’s breakfast show Good Morning Britain and also appeared on This Morning in October to celebrate 35 years of the programme.

Finnigan also spoke about the “extraordinary disaster” for the show as both the two main hosts left this year - Phillip Schofield in May and Holly Willoughby in October.

She added: “Phillip is not a close friend but he is a friend and I must admit I simply cannot understand why he had to go.”

Judy Finnigan said she doesn't understand why Phillip Schofield had to leave This Morning (Image: Yui Mok/PA)

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby both left This Morning in 2023

Schofield admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger male colleague on May 26 and resigned from ITV.

He had previously stepped down from This Morning on May 20 following a reported rift with Willoughby. He said at the time he was leaving so the show “can move forward to a bright future”.

Finnigan also said: “A lot of discussion has been had about why the show couldn’t work because Phillip and Holly weren’t good friends any more.

“I couldn’t understand what I always thought was this unhealthy obsession with Holly and Phillip being friends, therefore, for the programme to work they had to be so close.

“Programmes and presenters don’t work like that … We (Judy and Richard) were married and so supposed to be good friends. I just find the whole thing a great shame and incredibly upsetting.”

Willoughby left This Morning on October 10 saying it was “for me and my family”.