Richard Madeley is preparing to enter the Welsh castle for the newest series of I'm a Celebrity.
The Good Morning Britain host had issued a series of cryptic messages over the past few months teasing his involvement in the upcoming season of the popular ITV show.
The 65-year-old broadcaster announced he was taking a break from his anchoring duties until the new year - before his participation was officially confirmed this week.
READ MORE: Eamonn Holmes' first wife, hidden agony and net worth as he 'leaves' This Morning
Richard had rejected the opportunity to appear on the show for years - and revealed why now was the perfect time to finally make the leap into the world of I'm A Celebrity.
He said: “Up until now, I’ve always been perfectly happy watching as a viewer but recently, I realised I’m A Celebrity is no longer just a TV programme. It’s become part of the fabric of British life and part of the countdown to Christmas.
"It suddenly hit me that everyone talks about it the next day and I suddenly wondered what it would be like to be there rather than watching. I realised the time had come to experience it.“
Away from the screen, Richard has been happily married to fellow broadcaster Judy Finnigan since 1986.
The couple share two children together named Jack and Chloe - and Richard said his mind was made up after discussing the offer with his family.
He said: "Judy and I talked about it and we realised we couldn’t find a reason for me not to do it.
"I slept on the offer and when I woke up the next day, I found myself feeling really excited that I was going to say yes. My children think it is hilarious I am taking part!”
Richard and Judy first met when they were working for Granada Television in 1982.
There is an eight year age gap between the two and Judy was assigned as Richard's mentor when he started as a journalist at Granada when he was 26 years old.
The couple's first exchange has become the stuff of legend as Richard revealed to The Mirror : "I was sitting at my desk when this hand appeared on my shoulder and I looked up at this face and Judy said, 'Hi, I'm your Mummy' and I thought 'Whaaaaat?'"
"At Granada when someone new arrived, someone was appointed as their dad or their mum to show them round – the canteen, the toilets and all that. So Judy was my 'mum'."
Both were involved in marriages at the time - Richard to his first wife Lynda and Judy to journalist David Henshaw.
Richard married Lynda in 1978 at the age of 21 and he admitted on an episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories how the whole thing was a mistake.
He said: 'We'd only lived together for a while and then we got married. I pushed for it and then my dad died.
"In any marriage that would have been a very bad start and it quickly became clear to both of us that we weren't suited at all and things started to fall apart."
Richard confessed to cheating on his wife "about 10 times" before they divorced after five years of marriage.
Richard knew he wanted to marry Judy after they went on their third date - and they eventually tied the knot in 1986.
The pair eventually appeared as an on-screen team as they took over anchoring duties of This Morning in 1988.
The couple's career continued to go from strength to strength as they eventually fronted their own self-titled show on Channel 4 from 2001 - 2009.
Throughout his career, Richard has attracted comparisons from fans to Steve Coogan's iconic comedy character, Alan Partridge whenever he commits an on-air gaffe.
An example of an "Accidental Partridge" moment came during an episode of Good Morning Britain when Richard Madeley's co-hosts pointed out that the broadcaster's "phenomenal tan" had become a trending topic on Twitter. The confused presenter explained that he'd recently been to the south of France, but agreed he was looking "a bit orange."
Richard later laughed off the experience and explained what happened during an appearance on ITV' s Loose Men.
He said: "It turned out, what I'd done is, at 3am, I'd put my daughter's artificial tan on and it was strong stuff. It was humiliating.
"But the attention that that got! That's funny and it was very funny."
Fans will be hoping the popular TV star is similarly entertaining in his time in the Welsh Castle.
However, Richard has spoken that his only hope from the show is that he doesn't get voted off first.
He explains: "But that’s because I want to experience everything,
“I certainly don’t worry about what people think. If you are in the public eye and you start worrying about how people will see you, you end up going mad!"
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! starts tomorrow at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub
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