Lancaster comedian Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont are divorcing after nine years of marriage, they have announced in a joint statement.

The couple star in Meet The Richardsons, in which they play “exaggerated versions of themselves”, since 2020.

The “at home mockumentary” series returned to Dave’s UKTV on April 8 for its fifth series.

In a statement they said: “After nine years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated.

“We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways.

“As our only priority is managing this difficult transition for our daughter, we would ask that our privacy is respected at this sensitive time to protect her well-being.

“We will be making no further comment.”

Actress and stand-up comedian Beaumont was nominated for a Bafta TV award in the female performance in a comedy programme category in 2023 for Meet The Richardsons.

The couple also entertained viewers together when they starred on Celebrity Gogglebox.

During her career, Beaumont has featured on a number of comedy panel shows including Would I Lie To You?, The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You.

Richardson is also known for his appearances on panel shows and was previously a team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats.

In 2018 he launched the panel show Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, which ran on Dave for two series, and he has previously co-hosted with Russell Howard on BBC Radio 6 Music.

The couple share one daughter, whom they welcomed in 2016.