Evans is executive producer of Boys and Girls, which will pit two teams of 100 contestants against each other in a weekly battle of the sexes.

The show will occupy a prime-time slot, although its place in the schedules is yet to be confirmed.

Evans and Piper have returned after a break from showbiz

The hour-long, studio-based series will run for 13 weeks in the new year, and Channel 4 has already begun searching for contestants aged between 18 and 35.

Its presenter has yet to be recruited.

Evans said he hoped to make the show "unlike anything currently on the UK's screens".

Boys And Girls will be made by Evans's production company UMTV - which also makes Live With Chris Moyles for Five.

Low key

Evans, 36, attempted to drop out of the media spotlight for a year to spend time with his wife, singer Billie Piper.

The presenter shot to fame with the launch of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast just over 10 years ago.

Before that he had worked as a radio producer, then presenter, and he went on to found his own production company, Ginger, which made Don't Forget Your Toothbrush and TFI Friday.

He joined BBC Radio 1 to host its breakfast show, but left in 1996 - shortly after TFI Friday's launch - after asking to have every Friday off.

Virgin star

He transferred to Virgin Radio as its breakfast show host and eventually bought the company from Sir Richard Branson.

But after selling the firm in a multi-million pound deal he found himself out of a job after failing to turn up for work, claiming he was ill but being spotted drinking in pubs.

Evans married Piper in a secret wedding in Las Vegas. The pair decided to quit showbusiness to spend time together travelling the world.

But after a year away, they are ready to take the limelight again, with Piper planning a new album.