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The husband and wife double act, who are leaving Channel 4 this summer, are to make the switch to the digital broadcaster on a "new-look channel", the details of which have yet to be unveiled.

The new 60-minute talk show, which launches this autumn, has been described by UKTV as "high octane" and "celebrity filled". It will continue to promote the Richard and Judy book and wine clubs.

Although the exact details of what channel it will appear on have not been confirmed, UKTV said the show would be "at the heart of UKTV's pay-TV entertainment portfolio", suggesting it will not be available on Freeview.

Matthew Littleford, the UKTV controller, said: "To have brought the king and queen of British telly to UKTV, and to be working closely with them to develop a show that will be the most talked about in TV, clearly demonstrates the magnitude of our ambition to drive differentiation for our pay-TV partners in 2008 and beyond."

The show will be produced by current Richard and Judy Show producer, Cactus TV, the independent company owned by Amanda and Simon Ross, brother of BBC star Jonathan.

UKTV has not disclosed how much Richard and Judy will earn from their new show. According to The Times, the deal with Cactus TV is worth £3m, while the Daily Record has claimed the pair will pocket £1m each.

Richard and Judy announced last November that they were part company with Channel 4, when their contract expires this summer.

Their show, which averages 2.9m viewers, has been a regular fixture of the Channel 4 teatime slot since 2001, after the pair called time on their long-running ITV1 show, 'This Morning', which they had presented for 13 years.

The 5pm slot on Channel 4 is shared between Richard and Judy, who are on air for 20 weeks a year, and 'The Paul O'Grady Show'.

Last February, the show became embroiled in the premium-rate phone-in controversy, after it emerged that winners from the "you say we pay" competition had been selected before the phone lines closed.

Premium-rate phone regulator Icstis, now named PhonePayPlus, fined Eckoh, the company that operated the phone lines for the show, £150,000 -- the highest fine it had ever imposed.

UKTV, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media, operates eight channels under the UKTV brand: Gold, Drama, History, People, Documentary, Style, Gardens and Food, all of which broadcast on Sky and Virgin Media. UKTV History and new launch Dave are also available on Freeview.