Doctor Richard Madeley? I nearly choked in the supermarket when I read on the cover of a magazine that Richard Madeley had been awarded an honorary doctorate by Anglia Ruskin University. Reminder to self: Question the value of a degree awarded by that Institute!
It's an honorary doctorate. He cannot call himself Doctor. As others have said, it's more about the place awarding it (Anglia Polytechnic until 1992) than about the person to whom it's given.
I am glad to hear that he cannot gain kudos on the back of it. He was excruciatingly nauseous to listen to (when he was on This Morning with his wife Judy Finnegan). He aways interrupted the expert that was appearing on the show and basically took over that expert's contribution and usually managed to bring the subject back to himself in an extraordinary way. By the way "extraordinary is his favourite word, it being repeated endlessly thoughout any conversation.