Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan move to digital broadcaster UKTV

Chat show duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan will move to digital broadcaster UKTV in the autumn.

The couple, who announced they were quitting their teatime slot on Channel 4 in November, will host an hour-long "high octane" primetime show.

The broadcaster said the duo will make their debut on a "new look channel" later this year. The married pair gained a following on ITV1's This Morning from 1988 before moving to Channel 4 seven years ago.

Madeley, 51, said: "We were both hugely impressed by the team at UKTV,and their proposal was attractive and fun and will give us the kind of flexibility in our personal lives we've been looking for."

He added that the pair's popular book club will continue on the new programme, which is also expected to feature celebrity guests. Finnigan, 59, said: "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."

Their move to a digital channel is likely to mean a dip in ratings. The couple currently attract almost three million viewers to their Channel 4 programme. UKTV controller Matthew Littleford said: "I am so excited to have signed Richard and Judy - they are truly my TV heroes."

The broadcaster's current portfolio of channels includes Dave, which is watched by three million viewers per day, UKTV Gold and UKTV History.