Hammond 'may take Richard & Judy slot'

Richard Hammond is making a pilot for Channel 4 seen as a possible replacement for Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan at teatime.

It is reportedly one of several programmes, but the only chatshow, hoping to get the slot when the veteran pair depart in the summer. A not-for-broadcast pilot will be made this month by So Television.

The Top Gear presenter fronted Richard Hammond's Five O'Clock Show for ITV1 in 2006 but it struggled to attract viewers. He has also hosted Brainiac for Sky One and a documentary about Evel Knievel.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "We are doing a number of pilots for daytime slots and this Richard Hammond show is one of them."