Richard Madeley has shared that he retreats to the spare room when he’s working at Good Morning Britain, so that his early morning alarm clock doesn’t disturb wife Judy Finnigan

For anyone who has shared a bed with a partner who keeps a different schedule, the reasoning is familiar. Night owls and early risers rarely mix comfortably, and when one partner’s job depends on being sharp at dawn, sacrifices must be made. Madeley admitted that while he does “probably sleep a little bit better” next to Judy, the disruption of his predawn routine simply isn’t fair to her. By choosing to give her space at night, he is avoiding those inevitable clashes over alarm clocks, tossed blankets, and interrupted rest. It is, in his eyes, the very opposite of marital strain—it’s a sign of care.

Still, fans couldn’t resist speculating about what really goes on when the lights go out in the Madeley-Finnigan household. In the age of tabloid headlines and social media debates, the idea of a famous couple sleeping in separate rooms is bound to cause a stir. But the reality is that this arrangement isn’t uncommon, particularly among older couples who prioritize comfort and practicality over tradition. Madeley, with his trademark frankness, has brought the conversation out into the open, daring others to consider that intimacy and love do not always require sharing a duvet every night.

Adding another layer of intrigue, Madeley also admitted that Judy once decamped to the spare room for a completely different reason: a mouse. He joked that a nocturnal rodent had taken to appearing in their bedroom around 11 p.m., and Judy, horrified by the nightly visits, chose to flee rather than face it. The anecdote adds a playful touch to what might otherwise be seen as a dour arrangement, showing that their relationship is still filled with humor and understanding, even when unexpected guests appear.

Richard Madeley has revealed he and his wife Judy Finnigan sleep in separate beds because of his work.

The TV star, 68, is a regular on Good Morning Britain and said when he is down to work on the ITV breakfast show he sleeps in a different room to Judy because he doesn’t want her to end up waking up super early when his alarm clock goes off.

The topic came up on the White Wine Question Time podcast, when host Kate Thornton mentioned how she’d heard that presenter Amol Rajan slept better when his wife was next to him, but his early morning alarm would then wake her too. “When I’m doing Good Morning Britain I sleep in the spare room,” Richard said.

“I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy but it’s OK on my own,” he went on. He said of possibly disturbing Judy’s sleep in the early hours: “I wouldn’t think of doing that to Judy. Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with.”

Richard sleeps in the spare room when he’s on GMB(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Roy)

Talking about his early starts, Richard said when he started on GMB he’d assumed that people got used to it but that he’d discovered that wasn’t actually the case. “Everybody hates it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how long they have been doing the job for, nobody gets used to it. Everybody finds it horrible.

“There is just no way you can recondition your humanity to make it alright to get up in the middle of the night. It’s not. It doesn’t matter what time you go to bed, it doesn’t matter if you have a nap in the afternoon… it’s still s*** when the alarm goes off and it’s still dark.”

The star said the early starts are tough(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Richard and Judy, 76, tied the knot in 1986 and they share son Jack and daughter Chloe. The TV stars presented This Morning together from the late 80s to 2001 and then fronted their own programme, Richard & Judy, for another eight years.

But while Richard is a GMB staple, Judy is less in the spotlight these days and her hubby has previously suggested that she is enjoying her life off the telly.

Richard and Judy used to co-host This Morning(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Richard Madeley has never shied away from honesty, and his latest revelation about married life with Judy Finnigan left fans both shocked and fascinated. After nearly four decades together, the beloved presenter has admitted that he and Judy often sleep separately. For many couples, that detail alone would spark rumors of trouble behind closed doors, but Madeley insists the truth is far more practical, though no less intriguing. His confession has raised eyebrows, not because it signals a rift, but because it gives an unusually candid glimpse into how celebrity couples navigate the demands of work, sleep, and personal quirks.

The admission came during an interview on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, where Madeley explained that his early morning commitments to Good Morning Britain have forced a change in their nightly routine. With alarm clocks set for painfully early hours and the constant worry of disturbing Judy’s rest, Madeley revealed he often retreats to the spare room. Far from a symbol of distance, he describes the move as a gesture of respect, ensuring his wife of nearly forty years can enjoy uninterrupted sleep. As he put it bluntly, “Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with.”

While some observers interpreted the confession as a sign of drifting apart, others saw it as proof of the couple’s strength. After all, Richard and Judy have weathered more than thirty years in the public eye, a feat that few celebrity marriages can claim. They first found fame together as co-hosts of This Morning in the late 1980s, later cementing their place as daytime television royalty with their chat show Richard & Judy. Through scandals, career shifts, and the relentless pressure of media scrutiny, they have remained a unit. If anything, their willingness to adapt—even in the bedroom—speaks to a partnership built on flexibility and trust.

It’s also worth noting that research backs up their approach. Sleep experts increasingly recognize that couples often sleep better apart, especially when snoring, temperature preferences, or schedules conflict. Known as “sleep divorces,” these arrangements have been growing in popularity, and some surveys suggest up to one in four couples in the UK regularly sleep in separate beds. Far from being a harbinger of doom, many report that it improves their relationships by reducing irritability and increasing quality time when they are awake. Madeley’s candid revelation may simply reflect a wider trend that few people are willing to admit publicly.

Madeley himself was quick to emphasize that this is not an everyday occurrence. He and Judy still share a bed when his schedule allows, and he insists he sleeps “a little better” with her by his side. The affection between them remains obvious, even in his choice of words. Rather than a tale of estrangement, this is a story of compromise, where the demands of professional life and personal wellbeing require occasional adjustments. For Judy, who has largely retreated from television in recent years, having her husband protect her rest is likely a sign of respect and consideration, not detachment.

Public fascination with Richard and Judy’s marriage has always been strong, in part because their partnership feels authentic in an industry often filled with staged images of domestic bliss. They bickered on air, laughed at each other’s mistakes, and never pretended to be perfect. Madeley’s confession about sleeping arrangements fits neatly into that tradition of honesty. It isn’t shocking in the sense of scandal—it’s shocking in its bluntness, the kind of candor most celebrities would avoid for fear of gossip. Yet, it’s that very transparency that has endeared the couple to audiences for decades.

Behind closed doors, what appears to be going on is less sensational than the headlines suggest: a couple making practical choices to preserve both their health and their harmony. For fans, the revelation may inspire reflection on their own relationships. How many arguments are rooted in sleepless nights, restless partners, or incompatible routines? If one of Britain’s most beloved television couples can admit to sleeping separately at times, perhaps it normalizes the idea that love isn’t measured by whether two people share a pillow every night.

In the end, Richard Madeley’s “shocking confession” may not be shocking at all. It is simply another reminder that long-lasting relationships are built on compromise, humor, and a willingness to adapt. Judy’s sleep remains sacred, Richard’s alarm clock remains relentless, and somewhere in the middle they’ve found a rhythm that works. Their marriage, far from being troubled, seems to thrive on these small acts of respect. If the secret to a happy union is knowing when to step aside, then Richard and Judy have mastered it—whether they are under the same duvet or not.