Judy Finnigan has claimed paparazzi and press scrutiny forced her to quit her job as it led to an allergy to working in television.
Part of that is being fed up of being trailed after by paparazzi and people like that, you get to the point where you just think “I dont want anything to do with it any more”, she said.
Ive not been on telly for ages and I dont want to do any more, its fine, Im having a lovely time, but they still bloody follow me around, the paparazzi, she joked.
Judy and her husband Richard Madeley hosted ITVs flagship daytime programme This Morning from 1988 until 2001, and the pair were interviewed for ITV regional news programme Granada Reports.
The couple met while working on the north-west news programme, and revealed they shared their first kiss after covering the Blackpool Illuminations switch-on.
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Judy also suggested that social media has made things worse for women, who chose to perhaps not appear on a show because of the vicious comments online they know they will receive.
I do know quite a lot of women in television now who are finding it very hard to agree to appear on things because they get such vicious comments on social media and I think it is much worse for women, she said.
One of Judys last TV appearances saw her heavily criticised by Loose Women viewers after she appeared to defend convicted rapist Ched Evans.
Speaking on the ITV show, she said: Hes served his time. The rape and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape – but the rape was not violent. He didnt cause any bodily harm to the person.
It was unpleasant, in a hotel room, I believe, and she was – she had far too much to drink. That is reprehensible, but he has been convicted and he has served his time.
In response to the outcry, Judy apologised for any offence that I may have caused as a result of the wording I used.
MORE: Richard Madeley opens up about wife Judys utterly devastating stillbirth
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