Richard Madeley's touching message to John Stapleton as he opens up on Parkinson's diagnosis

Richard Madeley, the host of Good Morning Britain, had a heartfelt message for television legend John Stapleton.

John, an icon at 78 years old, appeared on the ITV breakfast show after announcing his unfortunate diagnosis with Parkinson's disease. Despite knowing there is currently no cure for his condition, John remained upbeat during the interview.

Before the conversation took place, GMB paid tribute to John by sharing a montage of his career spanning 50 years - featuring numerous old photos - highlighting his work on popular programmes such as Newsnight, Day Break, GMTV and Panorama.

The interview took an emotional turn when Richard praised John for his decade-long contribution to television, telling him "you inspired me" as he expressed his personal gratitude.

Richard stated: "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 understood what Richard was referring to as he had also admired talk show host Michael Parkinson after attending college opposite the Manchester Granada studios.

Susanna also remembered a fond moment she had once shared with John. Lightening the mood, she described a time when they'd both been on screen together and she'd ended up having a wardrobe malfunction after "ripping a huge slit in her skirt".

Speaking openly with Richard and Susanna about his health, John revealed that his mother June, who passed away in 2007, had the same illness, which meant he was familiar with the signs and symptoms, reports the Mirror.

The ex-Newsnight host recounted noticing a tremor a couple of years back, reminiscent of his mother's condition. He sought medical