Richard Madeley, the 69-year-old presenter known for co-hosting TV shows with his wife Judy Finnigan, has shared that he used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day in secret. He admitted to having a highly addictive personality, which deterred him from trying drugs as he was already heavily hooked on smoking.
During an episode of the On The Mend podcast with Matt Willis, Richard revealed that he never ventured into using drugs due to his addictive nature, citing his heavy smoking habit until the age of 40. He emphasized his fear of falling into the same addictive patterns with drugs and expressed gratitude that he was able to control his drinking habits.
In light of Matt’s struggles with drugs, Richard explained his avoidance of substances like cocaine or marijuana, as he was wary of the potential for addiction. He likened the dangers of cigarettes to those of drugs, recounting how he started smoking at 16 while working as a reporter because it was a common practice at the time.
The turning point for Richard came when he interviewed John Diamond, Nigella Lawson’s late husband, who battled throat and mouth cancer due to smoking. Witnessing Diamond’s suffering and demise from smoking-related illnesses prompted Richard to quit smoking abruptly, flushing his remaining cigarettes down the toilet. Since that moment, he has abstained from smoking entirely.