Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley delivered a heartfelt tribute to TV legend John Stapleton.
John, an esteemed 78 year old figure in television, joined the ITV breakfast show following his announcement of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Throughout the interview, John maintained an upbeat attitude despite the knowledge that there is currently no cure for his condition.
Before their conversation commenced, GMB producers honoured John with a montage highlighting his impressive five-decade career, including archival photos and clips from renowned programmes such as Newsnight, Day Break, GMTV, and Panorama.
The interview moved many viewers as Richard commended John for his vast contributions to television, expressing his personal gratitude and admiration by saying, “you inspired me”.
Richard warmly reflected: “I used to watch you on Nationwide, that’s when I first became aware of you as a presenter and you inspired me to get into television. I used to watch you thinking ‘I want to do what he does’.”
John resonated with Richard’s sentiments, sharing his own inspiration had been talk show host Michael Parkinson whom he watched keenly after college, near the Manchester Granada studios, reports the Mirror.
Susanna Reid chimed in with a lighthearted memory she shared with John, brightening the atmosphere. She described how they both had appeared on-screen together and she’d endured a wardrobe mishap, recalling, “ripping a huge slit in her skirt”, which elicited laughter as she reminisced about the embarrassing incident.
John opened up to Richard and Susanna about his prognosis, sharing that his mother June, who passed away in 2007, had the same disease, so he was familiar with the signs and symptoms.
The ex-Newsnight host recounted noticing a tremor a couple of years back, similar to his mother’s. He sought medical advice but was initially told it wasn’t Parkinson’s.
Despite ongoing treatment and his own conviction that he had the condition, John kept pushing for answers from doctors. Tragically, two months ago, his fears were confirmed when medics diagnosed him with the disease after observing the progression of his tremor.
Despite the grim diagnosis, John remains upbeat, crediting his son Nick for the support and encouraging him to break the silence on the often-stigmatised issue, hoping to aid others in similar situations.
When quizzed by the presenters on how he’s managing, the television veteran responded with an optimistic smile, stating: “No point in being miserable it won’t ever change anything.”
In a frank discussion about living with the illness, John detailed his personal experiences, noting alterations in his handwriting and voice, as well as battling fatigue. He mentioned to Richard and Susanna that he’s working with a “speech therapist” to help him “talk louder”.