Mock the Week is officially making a comeback, with Dara Ó Briain set to return as host four years after the long-running comedy panel show was dropped by the BBC. The much-loved satirical series, which originally ran from 2005 until 2022, will relaunch on TLC with a fresh run of hour-long episodes.
Fans won’t have long to wait. The revived Mock the Week will debut on Sunday, February 1, marking a new chapter for the show after its BBC cancellation. Dara will once again front the programme, continuing a partnership that saw him host every episode during its original run. Fellow ever-present alumnus Hugh Dennis will also return, delighting long-time viewers.
TLC has confirmed an impressive line-up of comedians for the nine-episode series. Alongside Hugh Dennis, viewers can expect appearances from Rhys James, Sara Pascoe, Ed Byrne, Katherine Ryan and Russell Howard. Additional confirmed names include Angela Barnes, Milton Jones, Lou Sanders, Ellie Taylor, Ahir Shah and Glenn Moore, with further guest announcements still to come.
The reboot will retain many of the classic elements that made Mock the Week a staple of British comedy. Popular rounds such as If This Is the Answer, What Is the Question?, Wheel of News, Picture of the Week and Scenes We’d Like to See are all set to return. At the same time, producers have promised brand-new rounds designed to refresh the format while keeping its trademark sharp wit intact.
Graham Lafferty, Senior Vice President of Content Strategy and Networks at Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland, said TLC’s move into broad entertainment made the show a natural fit. He explained that the channel is expanding its range to include both scripted and unscripted programming, spanning everything from sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory to topical comedy such as Mock the Week. He added that the team is thrilled to bring back the show with longer episodes, familiar faces and some of the UK’s most popular comedians.
The revival was first revealed in October 2025, following Mock the Week’s cancellation announcement in August 2022. At the time, the BBC said the decision was made after 21 series to make space for new programming. Dara Ó Briain responded with his characteristic humour, joking that the news itself had become too absurd to parody. Despite the farewell, he thanked the many comedians who passed through the show, many of whom went on to major careers, making Mock the Week’s return feel all the more fitting.
