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Rose Hill & Aaron Morris

Mock The Week cancelled by BBC after 17 years and 200 episodes

Comedy panel show Mock The Week has been axed by the BBC after 17 years.

The hit show, which first aired in 2005, will come to a close after its 21st season this autumn, the British Broadcasting Corporation has revealed.

Dara O'Briain has hosted the show for some 200 episodes, with comedy stars such as Hugh Dennis, Chris Addison, Frankie Boyle, Rory Bremner and Russell Howard all having featured as regulars over the years.

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According to The Mirror, Host O'Briain said: "That's it folks, the UK has finally run out of news. The storylines were getting crazier and crazier - global pandemics, divorce from Europe, novelty short-term prime ministers. It couldn't go on.

"And so, regretfully, we are closing the doors on Dara and Hugh's Academy for Baby Comedians. We just couldn't be more silly than the news was already.

"Huge thanks to all our guests over the years, so many of whom went on to huge successes of their own, and never write or call. It was a joy!"

The hit BBC show has been credited with being a platform for comedians with now household names like Michael McIntyre, Sarah Millian, Kevin Bridges, John Bishop and Rod Gilbert each featuring as their early careers began to take shape.

The BBC said: "The next series of Mock The Week will be the last, we are really proud of the show but after 21 series we have taken the difficult decision in order to create room for new shows. We would like to thank Angst Productions, host Dara O'Briain, panellist Hugh Dennis and all the guest comedians involved in the show across the 21 series."

Angst Productions, the company behind the programme, said: "We're naturally hugely disappointed that Mock The Week is coming to an end and hope that we will be able to resurface somewhere some day in the future. However, the last 17 years on BBC Two have been an absolute blast.

"It's been a great privilege to work closely with scores of truly incredible performers and we'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the BBC and all our many fans around the world for their support over the years."

The series was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, the duo behind comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which ran in the UK before becoming a hit series in the United States.

Mock The Week's final episodes will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this autumn.

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