Richard And Judy Reveal Death Pact: 'We'd Help Each Other Die'

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have revealed they have made a pledge to help each other die should one of them become seriously ill.

The former 'This Morning' presenters, who have been married for 26 years, said they would be willing to suffer the consequences if it meant they could stop each other suffering.

Richard and Judy

Under British law, a partner can be prosecuted if they help someone to die, even if it is abroad. But guidelines issued in 2010 indicated that anyone acting with compassion on the will of a dying person is unlikely to face charges.

Richard, 57, told The Telegraph: "If Judy was really ill and in logical mind, and at that point where you just need a little push to go over the edge, I wouldn’t give a tuppenny f*** if there was a risk of being prosecuted.

"I’d do what was right for my wife. And I’d take the consequences. That is your job, that is your responsibility as a partner."

And Judy, 65, agreed, adding: ‘And I’d do the same. Stuff it all. We’ve made ourselves give each other a pledge along those lines."

Richard even joked about the method he would use, saying: "For me, it would be the locked room, the bottle of whisky and the revolver. I wouldn’t want to mess around."

The couple revealed they decided to make the pledge following the death of Richard’s mother, who died last month after suffering from Alzheimer's and lung cancer.

"At my mother’s funeral, the first eulogy was given by my 32-year-old niece who is heavily pregnant," he said.

"She was stood in front of the coffin, grandmother, granddaughter and great-grandchild all in the same place. And it was … interesting. Because the death bubble really isn’t that dissimilar from the birth bubble. With both, you’re in this incredibly intense, closed world, and nothing else matters."

Judy added: "I remember when my mum died in 2007 and I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach. I felt something similar with Richard’s mum. It’s just the shock of death. It is so final … I suspect that the closer you get to your own mortality, the more final it seems."

Earlier this year, Richard and Judy lent their support to Susanna Reid ahead of her ITV debut presenting 'the revamped 'Good Morning Britain'.

Richard said: “Will Susanna save ['Good Morning Britain']? That is a huge burden to put on any presenter’s shoulders. Nobody understands it.

“It is like a best selling book. Everybody thinks they know the formula and there isn’t one.

"You need patience to get it right and confidence that you know what you are doing. Susanna knows what she is doing."

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