A TV presenter with a love of Cornwall has presented his winnings from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? to one of Duchy’s charities.

Richard Madeley, an ambassador for Cornwall Air Ambulance, visited the charity’s headquarters near Newquay to meet staff and crew.

Both Richard and his wife Judy Finnigan, who used to present ITV lifestyle show This Morning together, own a house in Cornwall and as advocates of the air ambulance they help promote its work and raise vital funds.

Last October Richard appeared on a celebrity special of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV, where he reached the £125,000 milestone.

The cash Richard raised was shared equally between his two chosen charities, with £62,500 coming to Cornwall Air Ambulance.

This week Richard presented a cheque to staff at the airbase, where he met air operations officer Steve Garvey, pilots Adam Smith and Andy Westwood, and critical care paramedics Thomas Hennessy Jones and Martin Bunt.

Speaking about his support for the charity, Richard, now a presenter of Good Morning Britain, said: “They’re such a great team of people, meeting everyone who makes this thing fly, they’re an interesting and dedicated bunch of people.

“It’s a very dynamic place to be, I’ve seen the helicopter take off twice here this morning already, it’s a very exciting place.

“Cornwall, because of its topography and its coastline, can be tricky to get paramedics and ambulances out to emergencies - it’s a tricky landscape.

“Without a helicopter ambulance service, the time that it could take could prove to be fatal. The helicopter and crew genuinely save lives, not just by getting patients to hospital but by giving them care there and then. It makes an absolute difference.”

Richard and Judy were the charity’s first celebrity ambassadors and have supported it in an official capacity since 2018.

Barbara Sharples, vice president at Cornwall Air Ambulance, said: “They were incredibly supportive during the New Heli Appeal, which raised £2.9 million towards your AW169 helicopter.

“Here at Cornwall Air Ambulance, we feel very fortunate for both Richard and Judy’s commitment, and they will always be warmly welcomed at the airbase.”