Jon & Lucy’s new show 'make couples realise that their relationships are not as bad as they thought'

Some couples would struggle to work together as well as live together, but not comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont.

They are both successful in their own right – he’s a regular on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, she co-created the sitcom Hullraisers, and they’re both stand-ups. However, they’ve also collaborated on the sitcom Meet the Richardsons, in which they star as exaggerated versions of themselves, and recently hosted their festive Party of the Year for Channel 4.

So, surely that makes them qualified to sit in judgement on other celebrities’ relationship?

Well, as Jon and Lucy would be the first to admit, their own marriage isn’t always perfect but, if we’re being honest, that doesn’t stop many of us from criticising other people.

And in Jon & Lucy’s Odd Couples, the comedians are going one further and pitting famous pairs against each other to see who has the best relationship. The celebs will be taken to a special couples’ retreat to take part in challenges that have been designed to test key qualities such as trust and communication – and also amuse the hosts and the audiences.

The pair can’t wait to get started, even though their own bond may occasionally come under scrutiny too. Jon says: “For too long now I have snuck out of our house and, behind her back, told audiences around the country about the things Lucy does that annoy me. I am grateful to Channel 4 for giving me the opportunity to air these grievances to her face and hope audiences enjoy the opportunity to see a small and petty man roasted and humiliated in return, as celebrity guests and a studio audience watch on with glee.

He adds: “I hope we can make a show that will generate some much-needed laughter, make couples realise that their relationships are not as bad as they thought and make single people appreciate how lucky they are.”

Lucy chips in: “Jon doesn’t want to spend time with celebrities and I don’t want to spend time with Jon, so I think Channel 4 have found the perfect recipe for a couples based panel show. Good luck to us all in all honesty, and I hope people can feel slightly better about their own relationships, and we can laugh in the face of celibacy.”

If you’re wondering which famous faces would be brave enough to put themselves under the microscope like this, then first up are Countdown maths whizz Rachel Riley (who should at least have a rough idea what she’s letting herself in for, having worked with Jon on the 8 Out of 10 Cats version of the words-and-numbers show) and professional dancer Pasha Kovalev, who are being pitted against comedians Richard Herring and Catie Wilkins.

They’ll be taking part in challenges designed to test their patience as they undergo makeovers, tackle a dirty bathroom and take a lie-detector test which results in a shocking revelation about one of the stars.