Carol Vorderman: 'I Really Loved Richard Whitely'

'I Really Loved Richard'

Piers Morgan has a high strike rate of making his celebrity guests shed a tear or ten - or in Cheryl Cole's case, full scale waterworks - and Carol Vorderman is no exception.

The Loose Women presenter - who is Piers' guest on this week's Life Stories - broke down as she recalled the death of her friend and former Countdown colleague Richard Whiteley.

"It still hurts very much," she said. "I loved him, I really loved him... He was more than just nice, he was funny, funny, funny.

"Every time we were in the studio together I would cry laughing. He was just a joy to be with and I loved him. Not in that way, just a genuine, pure thing."

Carol and Richard presented the game show for more than 20 years before he passed away in 2005 following heart surgery. She left the programme in 2008 when Channel 4 failed to agree to the terms of a new contract.

She also admitted she has paid the price of fame - blaming work commitments for the breakdown of her second marriage to Patrick King.

When asked by Piers if she would have divorced Patrick if her career hadn't grown, she said: "Probably not. I think it did have an influence, yes. Probably we would be together."

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