They’re one of Britain’s most iconic TV duos, fronting This Morning for over a decade, but even Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have moments they wish they could erase.
In a recent reflection on Richard and Judy: Our Best Bits – In Our Own Words, the pair opened up about what they call the “biggest regret” of their entire career — an interview that left them “slaughtered” by critics.
The Interview That Went Wrong
Back in 1996, Richard and Judy were handed a huge scoop: the first post-trial interview with former American football star OJ Simpson following his murder trial. It was set to air on their new ITV show, Tonight with Richard and Judy, and at the time, everyone expected a headline-making chat.
But as Judy recalled:
“It was the biggest regret of my entire career because it made us look stupid.”
Richard added context: a producer had secured the interview, but ITV insisted that, since it was the show’s premiere, they needed a second segment — this time with singer Neil Diamond.
“We wanted to do the full show with OJ Simpson,” Richard said. “But in the middle of the afternoon, the ITV boss decided it was too controversial to give OJ half an hour. We had to squeeze him into 12 minutes.”
Standing Ground vs. Network Pressure
Richard admitted that, in hindsight, he would have refused the compromise.
“We should have stood our ground. There’s no way you can do OJ Simpson justice in 12 minutes. But it was the first episode, we had a big team, and there was so much riding on it, we reluctantly agreed.”
The interview itself, initially promising, became a source of embarrassment. Richard recalled moments of tension, with OJ “wobbling a bit” and sweat on his lip. Yet what hurt most wasn’t the interview’s discomfort — it was the backlash that followed.
“We were absolutely slaughtered the next day. It’s the biggest professional regret of my career because it made us look stupid — going to a commercial break and coming back with a singer.”
