Richard and Judy's Watch show to end early

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan are to make an early exit from their show on digital channel Watch, according to reports.

The BBC News website reports that the couple, who were originally contracted to host Richard and Judy until December, will now bow out on July 3.

The pair said that they had "mutually decided" to end the contract early.

"Some you win, some you lose," they added in a statement.

"It's a shame we couldn't get this one to fly because both we and our brilliant young production team were genuinely proud of the show and the guests it attracted. But TV is all about taking risks and that means sometimes you fail.

The couple also said that part of the reason for the failure of the show - which averaged only 8,000 viewers - was that their regular audience simply could not find it.

The show has been running since October 2008, following Richard and Judy's departure from Channel 4.

UKTV controller Matthew Littleford said he was "incredibly proud" of the show despite its disappointing viewing figures.

"I'd like to personally thank Richard and Judy for all their hard work, professionalism and that indefinable R&J magic that they consistently brought to UKTV."

The pair revealed earlier this year that the show would be the last chat show they presented together as a couple, and that they would be going on to do other projects together and separately.

The Sun reports that Judy plans to scale down her TV work and focus more on writing while Richard is keen to make documentaries and move into radio.

Richard is still bursting with energy and keen to carry on being in the limelight.

"He’s got several ideas planned and is talking to production companies about other things," a source said.