ITV Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley reveals what advice he'd give himself as child
Along with their throwback pictures, Susanna Reid, Charlotte Hawkins, Richard Madeley, Adil Ray and Richard Arnold also shared memories of their schooldays
They all left the classroom several decades ago - but that hasn’t stopped the Good Morning Britain presenters joining in with the back to school vibe as they returned after the summer break.
Along with their throwback pictures, Susanna Reid, Charlotte Hawkins, Richard Madeley, Adil Ray and Richard Arnold also shared memories of their schooldays - with Madeley, 68, saying he’d love to give himself a piece of advice about being a bit more laid back.
“If I was speaking to my younger self, who was just about to start a career in television (which was like 46 years ago) I would tell myself ‘don’t take yourself seriously’,” he explained.
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“I have applied that actually for quite a long time now. I think people in television who take themselves seriously because they’re on TV, are somewhere between ridiculous and misguided.
“I mean, obviously you want to be professional and you want to do the best job you can and you take your work and your job seriously, but you mustn’t take yourself seriously just because you’re on the telly and people recognise you at the supermarket.
“I would say to my younger self, ‘Richard, it’s only telly, chill!’
Susanna, 53, said she’d attended three different secondary schools and had enjoyed her time, even though she “wasn’t great” at sport. Remembering back she says: “I’d sometimes throw myself into competitions even though I wasn’t the same standard as the girls who were good. I watched the Australian breakdancer at the Olympics with an air of awkward recognition.”
On a more serious note, Adil, 50, remembers being “the only Asian kid” at his primary which he found “kind of tricky at times”.
When it came to secondary school he found his concentration wandered because his parents were getting divorced. “I stared out the window and barely scraped through. I know lots of kids will be going through the same thing and it can be a really tough time at school if you’ve got difficulties at home.”
Despite the problems he managed to get a place at Huddersfield Poly after going through clearing.” I ended up with a 2:1 degree and a successful career. School isn’t always the best of times for some people, and not everyone can come out with shiny A-level results and lots of great As and Bs but that doesn’t mean it’s the be all and end all. So, for those who are a bit like me at school, don’t worry - it will all turn out okay.”
Showbiz guru Arnold, 54, says he “loved” his schooldays. “I had some cracking teachers - especially when we moved to Scotland when I was 11- years-old,” he recalls. “What would I tell my younger self? Enjoy stretch denim while you can.”
Charlotte remembered right back to her primary school, where she recalls making some “really good friends”. The presenter, xx, added: “The message I would tell my younger self is don’t worry, keep working hard and you will get that dream job!”
- Good Morning Britain airs live from 6am weekdays on ITV.
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