Gervais and Merchant, along with their producer-turned-sidekick Karl Pilkington, have hosted their cult weekly show for the last two years. They have also clocked up two Sony Award nominations along the way.
This will mark the second time that Adam and Joe have covered for Gervais and Merchant, having first made their name on 'The Adam and Joe Show' on Channel 4. The programme's anarchic assault on the world of popular culture included off-the wall sketches and bizarre film animations using a range of cuddly toys. Since then, they have hosted a range of other shows including 'Adam and Joe go Tokyo' for BBC Three and have appeared in a Daz soap powder ad in which they tie makeover presenter Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen to a horse.
Andy Ashton, Xfm's programme controller, said: "Ricky and Stephen are not leaving permanently and will be back on the air when they return to the UK and their schedules have eased up."
For the next two weeks, Xfm's Claire Sturgess will be hosting the Saturday afternoon slot, incorporating some of the funniest moments from Ricky and Steve over the last two years.
In the last set of Rajars, Xfm's breakfast show, presented by Christian O'Connell and sidekick Chris Smith, came in at 11th in London. The station is hoping that the show will reach the top 10 in next week's results. A marketing campaign through creative agency Quiet Storm kicked off at the end of last year to increase awareness of the show in the style of 'Kill Bill' press ads, featuring O'Connell adopting his typical sarcastic tone.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)