This Morning: Richard And Judy Return After 18 Years – And It Sparked Plenty Of Nostalgia

The ITV show's original hosts stood in for Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on Friday.
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After 18 years away, Richard and Judy were back at the helm of This Morning on Friday.

The married couple made a one-off comeback as they stood in for regular Friday presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.

Richard and Judy returned to This Morning after 18 years
Richard and Judy returned to This Morning after 18 years
ITV

The pair originally hosted the ITV daytime show from its inception in 1988 until 2001, and having them back proved to be a real treat for viewers...

The sight of them back on the famous sofa had people wondering if they’d woken up in the past

Am I having a stroke? Have a I time traveled? Is it 1999? Why are Richard and Judy hosting This Morning? #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/ShFaGaccoN

— Rory Devlin (@IchBinRory) October 25, 2019

I feel just like an 11 year old skiving off school #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/CDcjYscxmI

— JOEL ROSS (@joelrossradio) October 25, 2019

At a colleague's house working today & her daughter has the TV on. Had to double check as it was This Morning with Richard & Judy. Blast from the past. Memories. 😍 x

— Amy Souter (@AmyKoalaSouter) October 25, 2019

And the dose of nostalgia was certainly a welcome one

Was meant to be getting on with a pile of boring paperwork but just found out Richard and Judy are presenting This Morning which is far more important. #FuckTax

— kath 🙀🕷❄️🇪🇺 (@KathyBurke) October 25, 2019

I am now on the foetal position on the sofa, sucking my thumb, and watching Richard and Judy through joyous tears of nostalgic comfort. It's like a dream that came true #thismorning

— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) October 25, 2019

It's like it's 1992, I'm poorly and had a day off school, Richard and Judy are on #ThisMorning social media doesn't exist and Brexit is a word no one has heard of. Everything is ok in the world

— Lauren Barker (@LaurenBarker0) October 25, 2019

It's like they never left, yet wonderfully nostalgic. Lovely to see Richard and Judy back on #ThisMorning. I hope that, since they've quite rightly garnered their own titles, they'll sub regularly. pic.twitter.com/kNdBSd5f3c

— Nathan Chard (@NathanEChard) October 25, 2019

For some, it was a real return to form for the show

Richard asks Paul O'Grady if he's ever seen a ghost, Paul says his house haunted by a perfume-wearing ghost you can smell, this is vintage #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/wy2XCsfQBU

— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) October 25, 2019

Richard & Judy are an absolute SCREAM! I can’t take my eyes off this, from tearing Jeremy Corbyn a new one to blatantly asking Louise Redknapp why her marriage broke up, this is golden tv #ThisMorning

— Paul (@paulomcg19) October 25, 2019

There was lots of Richard Madeley being, well, Richard Madeley

Now on hold for 50 mins and counting 💪🏻 but Richard Madeley doling out relationship advice on #ThisMorning is giving me life. To a woman who can’t meet anyone, ‘what do you think is wrong?’

— Katie Myler (@LadyMyler) October 25, 2019

Within five minutes of being on air, Richard Madeley is talking about scratching monkey bums #ThisMorning

— Stephen Leng (@steveleng) October 25, 2019

And Judy served up a classic moment of her own as she shaded Boris Johnson

Judy Finnegan on Boris Johnson 🤣 Dead! #thismorning pic.twitter.com/zPSYCblPZx

— Steve Coats-Dennis (@blondsteve) October 25, 2019

However, there was upset at the sheer disrespect show bosses had shown to Ruth and Eamonn compared to Richard and Judy

Isn’t it funny how Ruth & Eamonn presented tons of Friday & holiday editions of #ThisMorning without their name / images in the opening titles for years however Richard & Judy come back on and their name and themselves are in the titles straight away

— John (@TVChatty) October 25, 2019

Richard & Judy do ONE return episode of This Morning and immediately get their own version of the opening credits while Eamonn & Ruth had to wait YEARS.

— Nick Walker (@nickw84) October 25, 2019

And sorry Phil, Holly, Ruth and Eammon, but there were calls for them to return full-time

Loving Richard & Judy on #ThisMorning It’s been too long. Such easy going chat & no talking over guests or each other. I’d forgotten just how fab they are! 😍

— Joster (@JosterCoster) October 25, 2019

Phil & holly... take an extended holiday.... Richard & Judy got this. #ThisMorning

— Ant Clare (@antclare78) October 25, 2019

I want Richard and Judy back next week! #ThisMorning

— Baroness Beckie (@Beckie_Miller_) October 25, 2019

To the bosses at ITV, please bring back Richard and Judy. They were just brilliant today. So down to earth and lovely. #thismorning #bringbackrichardandjudy

— Meleficent 🎃👻 (@_mels13) October 25, 2019

Prior to returning to This Morning, Richard and Judy insisted it was not a full-scale comeback to daytime telly.

“We’re doing it purely for fun and because the viewers asked us to,” they said in a joint interview.

“There’s no agenda here – ITV asked us to do a show, we thought ‘what the hell, why not’ and it’s as simple as that.”

Richard and Judy originally presented the show from 1988 to 2001
Richard and Judy originally presented the show from 1988 to 2001
ITV/Shutterstock

After finishing up on This Morning in 2001, Richard and Judy went on to launch their own teatime show, which ended in 2009.

Since then, Judy has retreated from TV presenting, forging a career as an author.

Richard has also penned a number of novels, but remains a regular on telly, frequently standing in for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.

Most recently, he appeared as a guest contestant on Channel 4 reality show The Circle, in which he had to pretend to be a 27-year-old woman called Judy.

This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.

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