Richard Madeley reveals terrifying moment wife Judy almost died after vomiting a litre of blood

29 May 2019, 16:09

Richard Madeley said it was "touch and go" with Judy. Picture: Getty/ PA Images

By Naomi Bartram

Judy nearly died after developing ulcers as a result of taking painkillers on an empty stomach.

Richard Madeley has opened up about the terrifying moment his wife Judy Finnigan almost died after she vomited a litre of blood.

Speaking about the incident - which happened last year - 63-year-old Richard admitted it was “touch and go” after Judy, 71, was rushed to hospital.

“She’d been taking Ibuprofen for sore knees and she had no clue that taking them on an empty stomach could seriously affect the stomach lining,” he told The Sun.

Richard revealed he later woke up to find his wife of 33 years vomiting blood, as the TV presenter continued: “I dialled 999 and the ambulance arrived in about four minutes.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Richard and Judy. Picture: PA Images

“They had her on a drip and got her to the Royal Free in Hampstead and she had two blood transfusions.”

After arriving at hospital, Judy had to have emergency surgery to remove four ulcers above the stomach lining including one in an artery which caused her to bleed out.

“It was touch and f***ing go,” Richard continued.

“While she was coming round from that, the surgeon said, ‘She’s going to be fine. Did you call the ambulance immediately?’

“I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Good, because if you’d waited another 20 minutes she probably would have bled out.’ Half an hour tops and she would have died.”

While Richard is currently presenting on Good Morning Britain during Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid’s half term break, Judy's last television job was in October 2014 when she starred as a regular panelist for Loose Women.

Following her decision to quit show business, Richard explained: “She’s completely backed away from TV.

"Given her success as a presenter and how good she was, she was the most reluctant TV presenter I’ve ever known.

“She didn’t enjoy it too much. She enjoyed the process of doing the programmes and she was incredibly good at it. But she really didn’t like the whole fame thing, because she’s very shy.”