Morning in all its glory

THIS MORNING – 30 UNFORGETTABLE YEARS ITV, 7.30pm

FLANKED by a huge pair of shoulder pads, Judy Finnigan, alongside husband Richard Madeley, welcomes us to the first-ever episode of This Morning back in 1988.

The clip sends current presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield into fits of giggles – they do that a lot.

This charming trip down memory lane, narrated by Joanna Lumley, takes us through the show’s 30 years, with plenty of interviews and nostalgic clips.

“There was nothing like the kind of live television that we were doing,” says Judy.

At a time when daytime TV was a graveyard, with only horse racing, political conferences or perhaps the odd snooker match to watch, This Morning broke new ground.

Originally only commissioned for a few months, it now starts the day for millions of Brits and has become a TV institution. It’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t watch it.

The show gave Charlotte Church her showbiz break, showcased the Spice Girls final-ever performance together, and drew complaints when the Chippendales were let loose on a live, shrieking audience.

It also trailblazed firsts such as trialling Viagra and doing live testicular and breast cancer checks.

And who can forget the moment Fern Britton asked a slurring Kerry Katona if she was an alcoholic, the time Gino d’Acampo cooked naked or when a hungover Holly and Phil hosted straight from an allnighter after winning a National Television Award?

This is a funny and entertaining tribute to the show they say is “for the people, about the people”.