A beloved BBC sitcom is making a shock return this month after a year off air.
Not Going Out, created by Lee Mack, is back for its 13th series - although Lee has warned it may be the last.
At its peak, the show - in which Lee plays a fictionalised version of himself - attracted more than six millions viewers and in news which will thrill its legion of loyal fans, a set of new episodes will be back on the Beeb on Friday, June 23.
By the time the series wraps, Lee and his co-stars, including Sally Bretton, who plays Lucy, will have filmed 100 episodes.
The Would I Like to You star previously said he'd like to 'end on a round number' as he admitted he didn't know if he could write any more scenes.
Speaking to The Sun, Lee explained: “We’ll have reached 100 episodes by the time we’ve finished this latest series and - as I am quite obsessive about numbers - that could be a nice, round number to end on.
“Either that or we go on until we’ve reached 200!”
Not Going Out first aired in 2006, with the likes of Tim Vine, Miranda Hart and the late Bobby Ball having all had recurring roles over the years.
The programme's popularity has only been surpassed by a handful of British sitcoms, with Last Of The Summer Wine leading the way with an astonishing remarkable 295 episodes.
The show was axed after three series in 2009 only for the BBC to change their mind after an online petition and strong DVD sales.
Reflecting on its success in 2018, Lee said: “Everyone told me that British sitcom was dead.
“Then I looked at Seinfeld and Frasier and thought, ‘No it’s not, it just needs more gags.’”
Despite being one of Britain's top comedians, The 1% Club presenter rarely opens up about his life before fame.
After working as a stable boy, Lee became a Blue Coat entertainer at Pontins holiday resort in Norfolk.
The job marked the star's first foray into stand up, but the job wasn't to last.
"I got very drunk, I had a go at doing it as Blue Coat," Lee confessed The Graham Norton Show, adding: "My mate said to me to just copy all the other comedians at Pontins and steal their jokes and basically talk to the front row."
But, it all worked out for Lee in the end, as he performed his first open mic slot while studying at Brunel University in 1994 and within 18 months he was a full-time comedian.
