New books sale boost after Richard and Judy show

The “Richard and Judy effect” has once again been felt in the publishing world with two of the titles shortlisted on the teatime TV show soaring to the top of the book charts.

Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse, has shot to the number one spot in Britain’s paperback fiction charts.

The Farm by Richard Benson, which was featured in last week’s Channel 4 show, has become the best selling non-fiction paperback of the week.

Jordan’s autobiography A Whole New World is at top of the hardback non fiction charts following a blaze of publicity, including an appearance on Richard and Judy last week.

The last Richard and Judy choice to hit the top of the charts was Joseph O’Connor’s Star of the Sea two years ago.

Sales of the book went up by 350% after it was featured on the programme.

The influence of the show’s book club has been dubbed the “Richard and Judy effect” and become a surprise publishing phenomenon.

A waitress whose first novel was published as a result of entering a competition on the TV show was recently shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Awards.