A former guest of the iconic daytime show This Morning has opened up about a teenage appearance that ended in a hair-raising disaster, recalling the unexpected kindness shown to her by the then-presenters, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
A Teenage TV Nightmare Unfolds
Podcast host Louise Boyce recounted the experience on the No Parental Guidance podcast, joined by the hosts' daughter, Chloe Madeley. Boyce explained that she was invited onto the show as a 15-year-old schoolgirl for a live haircut segment. The result, however, was far from what she had hoped for.
"The haircut was disastrous," Boyce stated, emphasising her acute self-awareness at that age. She knew instantly it was "horrendous" but, with a shaky voice, politely told the stylist she "really liked it." Internally, she felt violated by the experience, which marked her first ever television appearance.
Off-Camera Compassion from the Hosts
Despite the on-air calamity, Boyce highlighted the compassionate response from Richard and Judy. Off-camera, the veteran presenters comforted her, offering reassuring words that "hair grows" and that everything would be okay.
"Your mum and dad were so kind to me because they must've seen or felt that I was just like, 'I hate what you've just [done to me]'," Boyce told Chloe Madeley during the candid podcast conversation.
Chloe Madeley's Defence of Her Parents
In response, Chloe Madeley passionately defended her father's character, describing him as an exceptionally kind and fair man with strong values. "I get really angry when people go for him because I'm like, 'You don't know how good this person is'," she gushed.
She also credited her mother, Judy, with imparting valuable lessons on being a "calm" and "well-adjusted" parent. The family discussion provided a rare glimpse into the off-screen dynamics of the famous presenting duo.
The Legacy of Richard and Judy
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan fronted This Morning from 1998 to 2001, becoming household names. They left the ITV programme to explore new ventures, later hosting their own show on Channel 4.
Today, Richard remains a familiar face on ITV as a presenter on Good Morning Britain, while Judy has largely stepped back from public life. She was last seen on television in her daughter's ITV documentary, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, which ran for one series but did not return following Chloe's separation from rugby player James Haskell in 2023.
During the recent podcast, Chloe also touched on her current single status and the "stressful" process of navigating her divorce, contrasting it with the supportive childhood memories highlighted by her parents' handling of a guest's distress decades earlier.
