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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Rosaleen Fenton

Richard Madeley's cringiest gaffes as GMB host is coined the new Alan Partridge

When you think of Richard Madeley, you probably also think of Alan Partridge.

The infamous socially inept and politically incorrect media personality - sorry, I'm talking about Partridge here - is known for his howling blunders.

Over the years, Madeley has drawn parallels with Steve Coogan’s bumbling, tone-deaf comedy character thanks to his hilarious off-key takes on the latest news stories.

The veteran host is a one-of-a-kind - and has built up a huge fan base for his unique way with words over the years.

He took over presenting on GMB from Piers Morgan - another man who bears a close resemblance to Partridge.

Previously Steve Coogan, who plays the bumbling personality on screen, admitted that he thought the pair were pretty similar.

"I suppose if you fused Richard Madeley with Piers Morgan you might get close to who Partridge is at the moment,” he told Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast.

The ITV star seems okay with this branding, as he told one local paper: "I suppose I do have a bit of Partridge about me, but there's a bit of Partridge in every journalist on the planet."

Now as his name (once again) trends on Twitter thanks to his interview with Chloe Kelly, we've taken a deeper look into whether Madeley really is the real-life Alan Partridge. Back of the net!

On sensitive interviews: 'Why are you crying?'

He's jokily been compared to Alan Partridge (ITV)

He once scolded a guest for weeping when he met the paramedics who had saved his life, telling them: "Stop crying. This is supposed to make you happy."

He then added: "Anyway, after the break, the biggest dog in the UK. And he really is big. Don't miss it!"

Reflecting on a teacher remortgaging her home to save her dog's life, the 66-year-old asked viewers: "What price do you put on your pet's care? Is there a point where you just say, 'Too expensive, the dog has to die?"

While interviewing a group of Primordial Dwarves, he asked: "Do you find that people patronise you? That means they talk down to you."

The rise of 'Me Too' sparked a much-needed discussion about the inappropriate sexual conduct across countless industries.

Discussing the problem in Westminster, Richard said: "And that's one of the questions of the day. To touch or not to touch? When is it appropriate and when is it not? We'll be talking about that very soon."

Chatting to some 'freegans' who raids supermarket bins for food, he cheekily asked: "What's your supermarket skip of choice, then? I quite like shopping at Waitrose".

To one guest who had a stammer: "You looked as if your head was going to come off!”

Quizzing one of the Birmingham Six, he asked: "What do you notice most that has changed during your 18 years in jail? Cars have five gears now, for example.”

Candid relationship chat

Richard & Judy are devoted parents to their two children, Chloe and Jack (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Richard married wife Judy in 1986 and the pair had two children: son Jack and daughter Chloe.

They ended up presenting This Morning on ITV together in 1988 - and along the way, Richard has been rather frank about their life.

He once told viewers: "When me and Judy were trying to conceive, I used to douse my balls in icy water before intercourse.”

Another time, he mused: "Remember when you had thrush Judy? You had a terrible time of it."

When Judy once revealed she once dreamed of becoming a doctor, he shot her down, saying: "No, you would have ended up killing everybody."

And after she once confused a viewer's age, he laughed: "Ha ha, she failed maths. She did, she did!"

Celebrity chat

Former US President Bill Clinton and Richard Madeley have something in common... (Getty Images)

Famously, he once told Bill Clinton: “I know what it’s like to be wronged by the press. I was once accused of shoplifting. Unlike you though, I knew I was innocent.”

In 2007, former Dr Who Peter Davidson was interviewed by Richard, alongside his daughter, actress Georgia Moffett.

They aired a clip of her new show in which her character complains of her husband: "I just wish he had a bigger d***."

"Did Georgia wish you had a bigger d***?" Madeley then asked her dad - leaving people in stitches

While interviewing Keira Knightly, he yelled to his production team: “Can we get some make-up please? Get Keira looking like a crack wh*re… she’d make a good crack wh*re!”

Introducing Paul Gascoigne, he said: "He suffers for us. He bears our pain in the most public way possible. He serves a timeless human need, one that goes back long before the time of Christ. Perhaps this has always been Paul Gascoigne’s destiny.”

Earlier this week, he called England player Chloe Kelly 'Coco' in an awkward interview on Tuesday morning (2 August).

The football star was appearing on Good Morning Britain two days after her extra-time goal saw the Lionesses win the Euro 2022 final.

Wrapping up the interview, Madeley called Kelly “Coco” and thanked her for coming on the show.

“Chloe -or Coco as I call my daughter Chloe -thank you for coming in,” the presenter said.

Mistaken identity

Nigel Havers on GMB (ITV)

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain in 2021, Corrie actor Nigel Havers remained professional when Richard Madeley asked: 'Do you ever get mistaken for the Duke of Westminster?', confirming he didn't.

Awkwardly he had referred to the wrong duke - Gerald Grosvenor, who died in 2016...

Unexpected peril

"You look at the beach and you think, ‘ahh, pretty pretty, lovely golden sand, that’s safe.’ Not in certain parts of the country… quicksand!”

Watch out this summer...

Judy, Richard and Chloe Madeley (Getty Images)

Health

The presenter once complained he had to carry around salt to ensure his dishes are correctly seasoned.

He told viewers: I have salt in my bag. Increasingly in restaurants they won’t give you salt because it’s bad for the heart. I carry a little vial of salt, because if you’re in a restaurant, and you order the soup, say, and it comes and it’s under-salted, why would you sit there for the next 15 minutes sipping under-salted soup?”

War crimes

Chatting about the heavy topic of war crimes, he said: "Obviously, we had the Nuremberg trials after the war and we hanged quite a few Nazis and imprisoned a lot of others and we let them out eventually.

"But we didn’t go after the Hitler Youth as far as I’m aware. We didn’t go after the Hitler Youth – we only went after adults who served in the Hitler regime. And that’s something to reflect on, I think.”

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