Judy Finnigan opens up about the anxiety that plagues her and husband Richard Madeley, and questions what’s to come
Richard & Judy’s
After they both turned another year older last month, it seems Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are starting to panic about their health and what the future might hold.
Judy, who turned 76, has spoken out about her fears of ageing and the health issues that come with it, reflecting, ‘Perhaps there’s been a subtle but dynamic shift in the way we regard the real-life consequences of ageing. But if life expectancy has risen dramatically in the last two or three decades, it’s come at a price; it’s brought with it a host of anxieties mostly unknown to our grandparents’ generation, and the generations before.’
DEMENTIA DREAD
Judy continued, ‘Dementia’s the big one, obviously. Yes, “getting on” has long been associated with absent-mindedness and confusion, but until at least the mid-20th century most people conked out well before dementia really sank its teeth in. Sadly, today it’s the leading cause of death in the country.
‘Unlike our grandparents – who’d never even heard the words “dementia” or “Alzheimer’s” – we worry about it. We’re constantly checking ourselves, aren’t we? Is forgetting why we just opened the fridge an early warning sign? Or mislaying the car keys? Or struggling to remember if it was William Hague or Ian Duncan Smith who took over from John Major as Tory leader?’ The author concluded, ‘So while Richard and I will continue to shun our birthday celebrations, if either of us ever thinks dementia has come knocking at the door, it will be a case of run, don’t walk, to the doctor.’
And Richard, 68, has been open about his fears over the condition, too. ‘Dementia frightens me in a way that death doesn’t,’ he previously said. ‘These days, forgetting things comes with a pang of panic. So far, I seem to have avoided it, but the worry won’t go away.’
THE ‘BIG PLAN’
Another cause of uncertainty for Judy is not knowing where she and Richard will settle in the coming years. Admitting she’s thinking about the practical changes they’ll have to make as they get older, she said, ‘The next big talk on [our] list may not be the final one, but it’s an acknowledgement that it’s getting closer.’ She added, ‘It’s the “big plan” for your old age, when you decide what to do with the rest of your liv
