The John Bishop Show: Liverpool comedian quits after one season saying 'we really don't need another chat show'

The 58-year-old comedian interviewed guests such as Sir Ian McKellen and Shania Twain on ITV's The John Bishop Show but has walked away from the programme after two series as it is too hard to compete with established rivals like Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross.

John is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column as saying: "I'm not going to do another series of my chat show. It was great to do, but I found that I was competing in a space that was congested.

“Graham Norton is brilliant at it and Jonathan Ross is brilliant at it. We really don't need another chat show."

The comic was also left frustrated by the fact that his interviews were so short and prefers to have in-depth conversations with guests on his podcast The Bishop Exchange.

John said: "A chat show doesn't allow you to do the depth of interviews that I would like to have done. With television, you've got to fit into schedules.

"But with the podcast, I can do it whenever I want to do it."

Bishop has announced a UK tour to mark 25 years in stand-up comedy and revealed that all tickets will cost £25. He said last year: "I can't believe that next year it will be 25 years since I first performed. It's been a rollercoaster!

"And I can't thank the fans enough who have supported me all the way. I wanted to mark the anniversary with a brand-new tour and do something to say thank you – so every ticket throughout the tour will be £25. I really hope you can come and celebrate with me."