Why has Mock the Week been cancelled? When will BBC series end, who is in final cast and reason it’s been axed

Mock the Week will end later this year after 17 years on air and more than 200 episodes.

The current affairs comedy panel show ran for 21 series, 17 years, with its upcoming eight episodes to mark its last ever.

What is Mock the Week? 

Mock the Week is a British celebrity panel show on BBC Two presented by Dara O’Briain. The show features regular panellists, inclduing Hugh Dennis, Chris Addison, Frankie Boyle, Rory Bremner and Russell Howard, plus a range of stand-up guests, some of whom have had several appearances across the series.

The format sees six panellists divided into two teams of three answering questions relating to major and regional news items occurring in the week prior to the show’s filming.

The underlying theme is to produce satirical, topical discussions on news items, and stand-up routines, with the use of improvisational comedy.

Each series includes compilation episodes showing notable scenes, outtakes and additional footage, with repeat shows on the channel Dave.

The series was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, who is also behind Whose Line Is It Anyway.

Why has Mock the Week been cancelled? 

The BBC said the show will be axed in order to make room for new shows. In a statement, the broadcaster 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.”

Host Dara Ó Briain added: “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 [Dennis]’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!”

Mock the Week has been credited with providing a platform for many comedians to launch into household names including Frankie Boyle, Angela Barnes and Russell Howard.

Angela Barnes said of the ending: “Mock The Week has been a massive part of my comedy life, thanks for having me along for the ride. I’ve made many memories and many friends, and will be so sad to wave it off.

“On the bright side, I had LITERALLY just run out of ideas for unlikely things to hear in an action film.”

Who will star in the final series?

Each week, the show hosts five guests and keeps regular Hugh Dennis on the panel, along with Dara O’Briain as host.

The final cast is still yet to be revealed, but frequent appearances by the likes of Ed Byrne, Milton Jones, Rhys James, James Acaster, Zoe Lyons, Maisie Adam and Nish Kumar may mean some popular faces will return for the last ever series.