“I feel privileged to be an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Trust” Richard Madeley chats to us this CF Week

Hi Richard! I’m sure lots of our community will recognise you from Good Morning Britain (GMB), but can you please tell us more about your day-to-day job?

I don’t really have one single job these days. For almost 25 years, I’ve been a weekly diary columnist (with my wife Judy) for the Daily Express on Saturdays, and for the last three years, I’ve been the Daily Telegraph’s Agony Uncle. Judy and I read and recommend regular book titles for the Richard and Judy Book Club with WH Smith, and we also write reviews and interview successful authors for our book club podcast.

My main TV work these days is regularly co-hosting GMB. This means getting to bed by half past nine and setting my alarm for four in the morning. Well, alarms, plural -  I dread sleeping through mine, so I set four, one by the bed, two on a chair opposite and one more on the far side of the room!

I’m usually out of the house by 4.15 am and at Television Centre half an hour later. It’s straight to make-up – at my age, I need more ‘slap’ than I used to, especially at that time in the morning! Then in for a quick meeting with my co-host and that day’s producer, and then we’re on air at 6:00 am. I love co-presenting GMB; it plugs me back into my roots in hard news (I started out as a cub newspaper reporter when I was 16), and its huge fun to feel part of the national conversation.

You’ve been an ambassador for the Trust for over 15 years now. Why is supporting Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the work of the Trust important to you?

I feel privileged to be an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. It’s very important to me to feel that I am, in however small a way, helping people with CF lead the longest and best possible lives.

The late Professor Stephen Hawking was absolutely convinced that sooner rather than later, we will find a cure for conditions such as CF; he believed it is only a matter of time (and, of course, money). I think he was right – let’s face it, he was right about pretty much everything – and that day cannot come soon enough. In the meantime, we must do all we can to mitigate the condition.

Is there something you wish the public understood more about cystic fibrosis?

I wish the public understood the huge effort people make to cope with and battle against their CF. Not just the mental effort but the physical slog of clearing the lungs and airways. They are the epitome of determination, optimism and sheer bloody-mindedness. I really admire them.

And finally, do you have a favourite yellow item of clothing that you’ll be wearing on Wear Yellow Day?

I have nothing yellow in my wardrobe, so I’ll have to go shopping! Maybe some fun socks? Or a banana-yellow baseball cap? Something faintly ridiculous for a man my age. Let’s have a laugh.     

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition which causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It affects more than 10,900 people in the UK. One in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes it, usually without knowing.

Since 1964, we've supported people with cystic fibrosis to live longer, healthier lives -and we won’t stop until everyone can live without limits imposed by CF.