Judy Finnigan wants to be ‘Meg Richardson’

According to a women’s magazine the former regional newsreader, turned national daytime institution, fancies running a hotel.

Finnigan has been appearing on television screens since 1974, first off as the first female reporter for Anglia Television’s news show, before joining Granada’s local news offering in 1980. It’s while presenting Granada Reports she met future second husband Richard Madeley.

In 1988 the couple, then married, launched ITV’s This Morning magazine show where they remained for thirteen years. In 2001, amid rumours the couple were unhappy with meddling to the show’s format by inept ITV managers Madeley and Finnigan switched first to Channel 4, and later digital network Watch, to front their own chat show Richard and Judy.

Since that ended last year the couple have made a few television guest appearances, including two appearances on This Morning together, first to celebrate 21 years of the show and more recently to plug their “book club” which became a popular idea during the Channel 4 series.

However television critics have often said it seems Judy is much more happier these days off screen, away from the limelight. Richard has continued to appear on his own on several programmes in 2010, including the reality show All At Sea. Both had previously hosted series on their own in the past, however the pair at that time were also appearing together on This Morning.

The latest gossip about Judy suggests she fancies doing a ‘Meg Richardson’ and run a hotel. Meg, played by Noele Gordon, was the linchpin of the Crossroads Motel (later hotel) in the ATV series Crossroads for nearly two decades. However Judy may want to take some advice from Noele;

“It looks easy running a motel or hotel on television, but its very hard work in reality. I wouldn’t fancy taking on such long hours, staff relations and paperwork for real.”

Noele spent many hours with real hoteliers to learn the hard work involved in such a venture. I suspect Judy might be better off with a villa in the South of France. It was previously stated Judy fancied becoming an author, we’re sure more gossip from house Madeley-Finnigan will be in the ladies magazines shortly. What next, Judy wants to be an airline pilot?