When you see Richard Madeley on TV, you get a certain impression—often confident, sometimes cheeky.
But what’s he really like off camera? Thanks to longtime colleague and Good Morning Britain health editor Dr Hilary Jones, we get a candid peek behind the curtain.
A Decade of Working Together
Dr Hilary, 72, has been a familiar face on ITV daytime shows for years, appearing on everything from This Morning to Lorraine, and clocking up a whopping 275 episodes of Good Morning Britain alongside Richard, who anchors the show.
Over time, the two have built a close working relationship.
Hilary describes Richard as approachable, knowledgeable, and someone who genuinely talks to everyone with ease.
In fact, Richard even contributed a quote for Dr Hilary’s latest book, Under Darkening Skies.
But as close as they are, they haven’t always seen eye to eye.
When Views Clashed on Covid Lockdowns
Back in 2021, Richard and Dr Hilary publicly disagreed about the UK’s Covid lockdown policies.
Richard humorously dubbed government advisers Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty “The Chuckle Brothers” because of their caution around easing restrictions.
Richard felt that vaccines had done enough to protect people, but Dr Hilary disagreed.
He pointed out the rising case numbers and the fact that a significant chunk of the population was still unvaccinated against a serious virus variant.
Their friendly clash sparked plenty of debate among viewers.
Viewers Get Frustrated With Richard and Kate’s On-Air Banter
More recently, GMB fans have taken to social media to complain about the awkward on-air dynamic between Richard and co-host Kate Garraway.
During a recent episode, their habit of talking over each other was so distracting that viewers found it “painful to watch” and “really annoying.”
Comments flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with viewers saying things like, “Richard and Kate shouting over each other, unwatchable” and “He never lets her finish a sentence!” Some even speculated that the pair might not get along off camera, given their constant interruptions and competitive banter.
A Packed Show With Celebrity Guests and Scandal Talk
Despite the on-air tension, the show carried on with a busy schedule.
That day, Richard and Kate interviewed Martin Shaw, the 80-year-old actor known for The Professionals, who talked about turning down the role of James Bond.
They were also joined by weather presenter Laura Tobin and reporter Marverine Cole.
Later, they spoke to Scottish broadcaster and former Celebrity MasterChef star Aasmah Mir about the recent scandal shaking up the cooking show world, where presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace were both dismissed.
Catching Up on Good Morning Britain
If you want to see the Richard and Kate dynamic yourself or catch up on the latest news and interviews, Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
