Richard and Judy set for autumn move to digital TV
Thursday, 17 Apr 2008 18:29
Richard and Judy to move to digital broadcaster UKTV this autumn
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are to move to digital television this autumn after 20 years of terrestrial broadcasting, it has been confirmed.
The chatshow duo announced in November they were to step down from hosting their afternoon Channel 4 show, after seven years with the network.
And having made their mark in terrestrial TV, the married couple have signed with digital broadcaster UKTV, home to the Dave, UKTV Gold and UKTV History channels.
Madeley, 51, said he and his wife were "both hugely impressed by the team at UKTV" and described the plan for a new show as "attractive and fun".
"[It] will give us the kind of flexibility in our personal lives we've been looking for," he explained.
Finnigan, 59, who met Madeley while they were working on separate shows at Granada Television in 1982, added: "When we announced our decision to leave our current television series after seven years, we were very touched by the number of people who told us how much they wanted to see us continuing making programmes together."
Having hosted ITV1's This Morning from its 1988 launch until 2001, the pair moved to Channel 4, with their successful teatime show involved in the recent TV phone-in scandal after it emerged viewers had been encouraged to enter the You Say We Pay quiz even after the winner had been selected.
Madeley and Finnigan have always strenuously denied any knowledge of the scam.
Following Wednesday's announcement, Matthew Littleford, controller of UKTV, said: "I am so excited to have signed Richard and Judy - they are truly my TV heroes."