Judy Finnigan has ruled out a return to the show (Picture: Kieron Mccarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Judy Finnigan has ruled out appearing on This Morning, as a host or guest, following the ‘extraordinary disaster’ of the fallout of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s exits.
The 75-year-old presented This Morning when it first began in 1988, for 13 years until 2001 alongside husband Richard Madeley, before they went on to host their own show on Channel 4.
While a permanent replacement for Holly, 43, and Schofield, 61, has yet to be announced, rumours have swirled surrounding ITV on the hunt for married couples.
Holly announced her exit from the show last month, saying it was a ‘difficult goodbye’ after 14 years, as her departure came just months after Schofield resigned from ITV in full and admitted his ‘unwise but not illegal affair’ with a younger employee.
The pair were said to be ‘barely speaking’ weeks before, with other past This Morning stars alleging there had been a ‘toxic’ atmosphere on the show.
Judy has now addressed future appearances on the show, saying she doesn’t even watch it anymore.
Richard Madeley and Judy fronted This Morning when it first began (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby have both left the show (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She said: ‘I no longer watch it, and won’t appear on there to talk about my book. This isn’t a protest, it’s just a very different show than it was when we were doing it.’
Speaking to Saga Magazine, she went on to talk about the ‘extraordinary disaster’ for the show after both presenters left.
She said: ‘I know the politics inside television are extremely dense but it seems to me to be an extraordinary disaster of a stage in This Morning’s life that I don’t think needed to happen.’
‘Phillip is not a close friend but he is a friend and I must admit I simply cannot understand why he had to go,’ she added.
Judy continued: ‘A lot of discussion has been had about why the show couldn’t work because Phillip and Holly weren’t good friends any more.
Judy no longer watches the show, while Richard has insisted it will continue (Picture: Mattpapz / BACKGRID)
Schofield stepped down after admitting his ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
‘I couldn’t understand what I always thought was this unhealthy obsession with Holly and Phillip being friends, therefore, for the programme to work they had to be so close.’
She added that programmes and their presenters ‘don’t work like that’, and her and Richard were ‘supposed’ to get along because they were married.
‘I just find the whole thing a great shame and incredibly upsetting.’
This comes after Richard’s comments about the show continuing after Holly’s exit.
The 67-year-old said on Good Morning Britain that he doesn’t think This Morning will come to an end because the show ‘isn’t about the face, it’s about the format’.
He added: ‘Obviously the presenters have to know what they’re doing, they have to do a professional job, but it’s the content and the format that matters. There it is, it’ll carry on.’
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.
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‘I no longer watch it, and won’t appear on there.’