By Emma Saunders BBC News Online Entertainment staff

Reading a copy of Richard and Judy: The Autobiography on the a London Underground train produced various reactions from my fellow passengers, ranging from looks of disbelief to sneers and giggles.

But I had the last laugh, as the memoirs of the king and queen of British daytime television proved to be a fairly fascinating read.

The book follows the usual chronological format but Madeley and Finnigan write alternative chapters which keeps the story fresh.

The couple started off from quite humble beginnings

They both begin by talking frankly about their upbringings and the failings of their first marriages.

But as the couple write about the same events in each chapter, it does get a little repetitive and dull in places, particularly as they often take the same viewpoint.

This must be down to their perfect compatibility rather than close collaboration (Madeley insists in the prologue that they did not read each others' chapters).

In some instances though, the technique is absorbing. For example, Madeley's misunderstanding of his wife's post-natal depression and the hopelessness that Finnigan felt is a touching tale from both the male and female perspective.

But it is not all doom and gloom.

All the classic This Morning moments are in there, including the streaker on Fred Talbot's weather map, Lily Savage's escapades, Keith Chegwin's alcohol confession and Madeley's Ali G spoof.

The couple have been imitated on Alistair McGowan's show

And, of course, Judy's moment of glory when her dress fell open at the National Television Awards in 2000.

Their views on tabloid journalism are well balanced and interesting, since they have a foot in both camps as journalists but also as celebrities in the public domain.

The book is obviously an opportunity to hit back at the rumours of Judy's health problems and the paparazzi who snapped her in a bikini on holiday.

But they do not appear bitter, just philosophical.

Madeley's shoplifting aquittal is given a good airing and his version of events is convincing.

They come across as professional and very down to earth and they do not take themselves too seriously.

They know it could all be gone tomorrow ( "Don't be stupid, you can always work in Boots!", Finnigan said to herself when wondering if This Morning's move to London would work out).

A few cheesy lines should raise some laughs - the songs Finnigan most associates with falling in love with her husband are Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You and Kylie Minogue's I Should Be So Lucky.

Photographs show the happy couple and family in various poses including one of them dressed up as Snow White and one of the dwarfs at a hotel party.

The book finishes with their move to Channel 4 and despite a brief epilogue, there is a touch of finality about proceedings.

Perhaps they will never again reach the dizzy heights of This Morning at its peak but as Richard says: "As long as we're together, we'll be okay."

Richard and Judy: The Autobiography is published by Hodder and Stoughton.