Inside No9 to end next year

'Inside No9' is ending.

The BBC Two cult comedy show - in which every episode features the number nine - will be "paused" after nine series next year, with creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith ready to focus on new projects.

Steve said: "We feel it is a good time to pause 'Inside No9' after we finish filming series nine next year.”

However, the 55-year-old comic - who also worked on 'League of Gentlemen' with Reece, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson - told fans it may not necessarily be the end of the programme forever so they shouldn't rule out hope of a return one day in the future.

He added to The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: “We’re not saying it’s over for good.

“After all, The League Of Gentlemen came back, but we won’t be looking to make any more episodes for the time being.”

Since it began, the dark comedy has featured appearances from the likes of Sheridan Smith, Sir Derek Jacobi, Alison Steadman, the late Helen McCrory, and Keeley Hawes.

A Christmas special, called 'The Bones Of St. Nicholas' will air next week and features stage veteran Simon Callow and former 'Coronation Street' actress Shobna Gulati.

Steve previously admitted he and Reece are keen to take the show to the stage and had made some progress with the idea.

He said earlier this year: "It is definitely on the cards. We have flirted with the idea of doing a play and now we are moving into the heavy petting stage.

"I think a stage play is good because the episodes are in many ways little theatre pieces.

"They started off life in our minds as plays and there is no reason why we couldn't transfer them."