The long-running topical panel show is to end after 17 years at BBC Two.

All good things must come to an end, sadly. The TV panel show headed up by Dara Ó Briain, 'Mock The Week', is ending later this year after many years of taking the piss out of British society.

The comedy series featured a number of household names either as regular contributors or as special guests over its 17 years, 21 series and 235 episodes, including Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, Jo Brand, Josh Widdicombe, Katherine Ryan and Andy Parsons. Hugh Dennis is the only panellist to appear in all 20 seasons of the series.

Ó Briain said in a statement: "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 comic has also been tweeting about the reaction the news has been getting over on Twitter, wishing all of the fans of the show a "thank you" for their kind words. Poor 'Batgirl'.

One Twitter user has started quite a brilliant thread of some of the best moments from the series, including that time Greg Davies did his very high-pitched impersonation of Peter Andre. Enjoy!

'Mock The Week' will be ending later this autumn on BBC Two with eight episodes in the final series.