Comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont who have starred in TV shows about their relationship announce they

Comedy couple Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont are divorcing after nine years of marriage, they have announced in a joint statement today - just days after the launch of the fifth series of their comedy show Meet The Richardsons.

The pair - who share seven-year-old daughter Elsie Louise - insisted the separation had been 'amicable' as they detailed their priority of putting their child first.

The couple have starred in 'at home mockumentary' show about their relationship, Meet The Richardsons, since it it first aired in 2020. Its fifth series began on Dave just this week on April 8.

In the show they play 'exaggerated versions of themselves', and make comedic jibes at each other.

A statement to the PA news agency read: 'After 9 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.'

Comedy and acting couple Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont are divorcing after nine years of marriage, they have announced in a joint statement

A statement to the PA news agency said: 'After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision' 

The couple began dating in 2013 after meeting through fellow comedian Roisin Conaty, before tying the knot in April 2015 and welcoming their daughter in September the following year.

When Jon and Lucy have appeared together on TV together, they frequently made jokes about their relationship.

Just a year ago on an episode of Eight Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown Lucy said 'I don't see this for life' when host Jimmy Carr asked about their relationship.

Introducing team captain Jon and his wife Lucy, his teammate for the episode, Jimmy said: 'Lucy and Jon are married. So I know Lucy, everyone watching at home is dying to know... What made you decide to settle?'

'I don't see this for life,' Lucy brutally replied. 'Isn't it a song - just passing through? Is it?'

'Just passing through?' Jimmy asked Lucy, to which she replied: 'You meet in your life old souls, new souls... a***holes.'

She then said that she and Jon had 'a lovely life together', and pointed out that he introduced her to avocados, which she had never eaten before they met.

'Who knows what will happen in the future,' she said. Jon interjected: 'Are you breaking up now?'

The couple have starred in Meet The Richardsons, which began in 2019, in which they play 'exaggerated versions of themselves' and also fronted Channel 4 panel show, Jon & Lucy's Odd Couples, which featured celebrity couples last year. 

'At home mockumentary' Meet The Richardsons, which airs on UKTV's Dave with the fifth series starting this month, saw Lucy nominated for a BAFTA TV award in the female performance in a comedy programme category in 2023.

They shared: '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' (pictured in 2017) 

Lucy spoke in January last year about working with her husband, saying: 'We like working together and enjoy Meet The Richardsons and we really wanted to make something that people could relate to' 

Last year, Lucy confessed that viewers often do not understand that their fighting is not real, saying: 'It's been great but I see comments on social media and people don't seem to realise it's not real...

'I don't henpeck – we wouldn't have lasted this long if I was as mean to him in real life. You don't want to see a smug couple in love, in a nice house, with a stable career and a lovely little child. Who wants to see that?...

'I wasn't doing it if we were going to be like that. We'll show the other side where we're just at each other constantly. It's a more truthful portrayal...

'The world we've got around us is slightly bizarre but I think people still feel like they recognise themselves in it, which is good.'

Lucy spoke in January last year about working with her husband, saying: 'We like working together and enjoy Meet The Richardsons and we really wanted to make something that people could relate to... 

'Meet The Richardsons is basically an excuse for us to channel tensions into comedy and you see that in the studio, someone might start saying something thinking they're going to land a blow but as soon as us and the audience start laughing at them, they realise it's all nonsense.'

Lucy also told OK! just last month that the latest series of Meet the Richardsons, which started this week, could be the last one, saying: 'This will probably be the last one, and we're going out on a high.' 

Speaking about what they learnt from filming Jon & Lucy's Odd Couples, Lucy went on: 'We've learnt that all couples have beef with each other and have ongoing tensions about something. Everyone's the same.'

Jon continued: 'It's not about whether you have issues or not, it's about how you deal with the issues. There is no perfect couple. 

'Michael and Hilary Whitehall were absolutely brutal to each other and it's the lexicon of their marriage now.'

Last year it was confirmed Meet The Richardsons would be renewed for the upcoming fifth season, following its win for Best Comedy at the Broadcast Digital Awards 2022.

Speaking to The Sun at the time, Lucy said: 'Yes, we have another series commissioned... 

'The idea for the next series is that we want to do a sitcom and make it a bit like Heartbeat with gags, but because Jon wants to retire soon, he wants to win an award. So he wants the sitcom to be more surreal and abstract... 

'So each of us goes and comes up with ideas for our own sitcom, then we take it to a focus group and we have to come back together.'

Last year, Lucy confessed that viewers often do not understand that their fighting is not real, saying: 'It's been great but I see comments on social media and people don't seem to realise it's not real'

The fourth series which aired saw the couple move house and featured guest stars including Ben Elton and Adrian Chiles.

Last month it was revealed that the new series will feature appearance from a host of famous faces including Ben Shephard, Kimberly Wyatt, Lee Mack, Alexander Armstrong, Gregg Wallace, Stephen Mangan, Amanda Abbington, Dick & Dom, Adrian Chiles, Nigel Havers, Cheryl Baker and The Cheeky Girls.

The fifth season was confirmed before the fourth series even began airing.

According to Dave: 'In this series, Lucy's career is turbo-charged by her BAFTA nomination and she's getting offered shows from the very big to the frankly bizarre.

'Jon is fine with Lucy's success, he's not competitive at all, and he knows when he's beaten.

'So, while Lucy's busy on Taskmaster, Bake Off and Celebrity Chinese Whispers, Jon is plotting his escape from telly, with one last, lucrative job hosting a new daytime quiz show.

'Meanwhile, at home, a global superstar and her partner move in next door, making it harder than ever to keep up with the neighbours.

'Lucy's turning 40 and she'd really like Jon to go with her to Glastonbury to celebrate. He'll never agree to that. But will they both agree that five series of Meet The Richardsons is more than enough?'

The show first launched on the channel in 2020 with the couple writing it alongside Peter Kay's Car Share scribe Tim Reid.

The couple scored huge praise when they appeared together on Celebrity Gogglebox.

Aside from her work with her husband, Lucy has featured on a number of panel shows including Would I Lie To You?, The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You.

Jon meanwhile is known for his appearances on panel shows and work as a team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats.

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

Last year, Lucy revealed her career was held back by predatory men on the circuit as she confirmed she had been targeted herself.

She said she had suffered 'quite a few incidences' early on as she set out in the industry.

And confirming the 'blacklist' of alleged offenders, she said there were up to 15 men carrying out the appalling behaviour.

Lucy, said when being asked if anything had held her back: 'Predatory male behaviour.

'I've had quite a few incidences where if you're in any other workforce you would go to HR, but there isn't one. I think it's just everywhere and it's not talked about enough.

'It upsets me when I hear about young female comics having the same experiences. I thought for a while it was the same five or six people - and now it's not - I could name you 10 or 15 because of course people talk.'

The writer and performer spoke in July about the issue on The Comedian's Comedian Podcast, which today attracted greater interest after the Russell Brand allegations. There is no suggestion of any link between her and Brand, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

She added: 'Comedy has the biggest gossips ever so everybody knows - or if you don't know the ones I know yet then you will do soon.

'It attracts such interesting, passionate, raw, edgy, wounded people - but it also attracts predatory men who are really messed up and sexually have been repressed for years. And they get a bit of fame and display these behaviours.

'It just gets covered up. Their agents know and the channels know and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. 

'There's been times when I've just wanted to go on Twitter and just let people know everyone that we talk about, but not allowed to say.'