This Morning marks 35th anniversary with clip of original hosts Richard and Judy’s first ever show as he admits he was ‘nervous’ for TV debut
ITV’s This Morning celebrated their 35th anniversary on Tuesday by sharing a clip from their first ever episode.
Fronted at the time by husband and wife duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, the pair could be seen welcoming daytime television to ITV and explaining the show’s format to viewers at home.
The clip, filmed from Liverpool’s Albert Dock, aired at 10.40am – the exact time at which the original episode first aired.
Back in the studio, current host Holly Willoughby said: ‘How mad is that? That was going out at exactly this time, that exact thing 35 years ago.’
Co-host for the day, Josie Gibson, added: ‘That’s crazy, really weird! Thank you Richard and Judy and thank you for joining us for the last 35 years.’
Throwback: ITV’s This Morning celebrated their 35th anniversary on Tuesday by sharing a clip from their first ever episode with original hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan
Back in the studio: current host Holly Willoughby told Josie Gibson, (right): ‘How mad is that? That [show] was going out at exactly this time, that exact thing 35 years ago [10.40a,].’
Speaking to Josie and Holly live, Richard, 67, discussed the nerves he felt 35 years ago to the day: ‘Of course we were nervous, it was a huge leap into the dark.
‘There had been nothing like it on British television before, daytime television didn’t exist’, he said.
Richard continued: ‘Finally ITV decided it should and they went to America and looked at American daytime shows and they came back with lots of ideas and then all the different ITV companies, Granada, Yorkshire Television, Thames Television, Central, all of them, they all made a pilot for this new show that was going to be called This Morning.’
‘I think one of the reasons Judy and I won it for Granada was Liverpool, that set there was amazing. That big pane glass window behind us, there was a real view, the lovely red column aids of the Albert Dock, Victorian dock.
‘It had a real breath of fresh air about it, all the other pilots were done in studios, we did it somewhere real and it was Liverpool. I just think the Liverpool atmosphere came through the show.’
On being involved in a new show format, Richard explained: ‘It was 35 years ago, right now, 1988. We were told pretty firmly by ITV that if it didn’t work, we would be off the air by Christmas.
‘We had a one year contract, there was a lot of snobbery around in those days about daytime television, it was seen as inferior somehow, not proper television.
‘There was a lot of willingness… for it not to work. Which actually gingered us up and made us more determined to make it work and boy, did we work hard to get it on the air.’
Daytime TV launch: The clip, filmed from Liverpool’s Albert Dock, was aired at 10.40am – the exact time at which the original episode first aired
Dream team: Speaking to Josie and Holly live, Richard, 67, discussed the nerves he felt 35 years ago to the day: ‘Of course we were nervous, it was a huge leap into the dark’ (pictured in 1988)
Today: Richard said: ‘It was 35 years ago, right now, 1988. We were told pretty firmly by ITV that if it didn’t work, we would be off the air by Christmas’
Richard then explained how viewers have been at the heart of the show for the last 35 years: ‘That’s one of the things we said towards the backend of that very first show.
‘Judy and I scripted it in, “can we just make one thing clear, this is your show. This isn’t our show, it’s not ITV’s show, it’s not Granada’s show, it belongs to you, we’ll give you what you want but let us know”.
‘This was in the days before social media so people had to ring in and write in. But yeah, the show was very much evolved and carved itself out based on what the viewers wanted and it still does. It belongs to the viewers.’
Richard and Judy went on to host This Morning from its inception in 1998 to 2001, before taking on their show – Richard and Judy – in 2001 for eight years.
It comes after the news that ITV bosses are lining up Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard to join Holly on the This Morning sofa.
Sources say he is a frontrunner to replace Phillip Schofield in the role after he stood in earlier this week as bosses of the daytime programme attempt to find Holly a more permanent sidekick.
Ben, 48 – who was previously a stand-in presenter on This Morning, covering for Phillip between 2005 and 2011 – impressed the network’s senior executives when he appeared on the show.
Success! Richard and Judy went on to host This Morning from its inception in 1998 to 2001, before taking on their show – Richard and Judy – in 2001 for eight years (pictured in 2019)
For the viewers: Richard then explained how viewers have been at the heart of the show for the last 35 years: ‘That’s one of the things we said towards the backend of that very first show’
Initially This Morning was going to be built around Holly, 42, with rotating co-hosts, as GMB is with Susanna Reid, but now bosses have changed their minds and want someone they can team her with most days.
A source told the Mail: ‘Ben did really well and the bosses loved his partnership with Holly and there was great feedback from many viewers.
‘Ben is known throughout ITV as being very popular with the audiences of whatever shows he hosts.
‘He is also trusted by the public and is much loved within ITV. He has hosted so many shows for the channel.
‘He and Holly go back years too – he presented on This Morning some years ago and they have a great rapport.’
Ben currently rotates with Richard Madeley, Ed Balls and Martin Lewis to host GMB alongside either Ms Reid or his good friend Kate Garraway.
He stepped in more frequently when Piers Morgan first quit in 2021 and was the main presenter of GMB when it launched in 2014.
He also hosts the ITV quiz Tipping Point, which is pre-recorded, and the Saturday game show Ninja Warrior UK.
While he has also anchored shows such as The Krypton Factor and ITV2 spin-off programme The Xtra Factor, Ben has 23 years experience of presenting on breakfast television.
Moving forward: It comes after the news that ITV bosses are lining up Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard to join Holly on the This Morning sofa
He joined the long-running programme GMTV in 2000 where he presented Entertainment Today alongside Jenni Falconer.
In 2005, after Eamonn Holmes’s departure, he became Fiona Phillips’s co-host on GMTV Today, before becoming its main star alongside Kate.
After Schofield’s departure, Ms Willoughby had initially hoped to present This Morning alongside Alison Hammond, but she has too many TV commitments to do as often as that would require.
Instead she is regularly paired with Craig Doyle, Dermot O’Leary and Josie Gibson.
ITV said: ‘Ben is a much loved and popular presenter on ITV but no such decisions have been made.’
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