Richard and Judy to present book show on Channel 4

Finnegan and Madeley last hosted a show on Channel 4 in 2008

"Avid readers" Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are to return to Channel 4 for a programme that will recommend books to read during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Richard & Judy: Keep Reading and Carry On will be filmed from the couple's home and air over a single week.

Madeley said he and Judy were "excited" to "share what we love with viewers".

The couple, who co-presented ITV's This Morning for 13 years before moving to Channel 4 in 2001, have been married since 1986.

Their Richard & Judy chat show last aired on Channel 4 in 2008.

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"Books can transport you to incredible places from the comfort of your sofa," said Finnegan, the author of two novels.

"So there is no better time to share our top picks for lockdown reads and hear from viewers, celebrities and authors about the books that have helped them whilst staying at home."

The presenters began their popular Richard & Judy Book club in 2004, taking it with them when they left Channel 4 for digital station Watch.

The initiative continues to this day in partnership with UK retailer WH Smith.

Madeley has also written novels, as well as a book about his family's history.

Ian Katz, director of programmes at Channel 4, said the couple were "much-loved Channel 4 faces and the country's most trusted arbiters of what's worth reading".

He said they were "the perfect duo to get us through the remainder of lockdown with the help of a few good books".

The programme will begin on 4 May at 17:30 BST.

The news of its arrival coincides with World Book Night, Unesco's International Day of the Book and the probable date of William Shakespeare's birthday.

A new survey shows people in the UK are turning to books to help them through the lockdown, with novels about fictional epidemics proving increasingly popular.