Richard and Judy gets low ratings

Richard Madeley has defended his new TV chat show with wife Judy Finnigan following low viewing figures in its opening two weeks.

Richard and Judy's New Position, which airs on UKTV channel Watch, was watched by 100,000 people on its opening night and just 53,000 viewers on Tuesday.

But the TV presenter says it is still early days for the show.

He said: "It's going to be a much smaller figure than we're used to getting on This Morning or Channel 4."

Richard Madeley added: "If anybody thinks that we're surprised, moving from a terrestrial channel to digital, to see a drop in numbers they must think we're living in fantasy land.

"In fact, it was 200,000 viewers and considering it was brand new but didn't exist until we went on air with it, that's not bad at all actually.

If anybody thinks we're surprised we're going to see a drop in numbers they must think we're living in fantasy land Richard Madeley

"We've been trying to say to people it's a tiny audience to begin with but it will grow because that's digital TV; digital is the future.

"Christ. It's the first day. It's going to take weeks and months."

Samuel L. Jackson and David Walliams joined the husband and wife team on the opening show.

Guests set to appear in the next few weeks include actor Josh Hartnett, Dame Helen Mirren and Lord Attenborough.

The programme follows on from their Channel 4 chat show which pulled in 1.5 million viewers on their last appearance.

The couple, who started on local television, became household names on ITV daytime magazine This Morning.

They left that show in 2001 for a primetime slot on Channel 4.