Leigh Francis insists Bo Selecta! reboot will never happen

Leigh Francis has insisted a return for 'Bo Selecta!' will "never happen".

The 51-year-old comic - who played celebrity-obsessed Avid Merrion in the sketch show from 2002 until 2009 - has insisted the controversial series has gone for good due to "society", despite regular calls from fans for it to make a comeback.

Answering questions from fans on an Instagram Live, he said: "It'll never happen. I guess that's because of society, but it will 100% never happen. It's a shame."

And while Leigh admitted it was possible another of his creations, panel show 'Celebrity Juice' - which aired from 2008 to 2022 and he presented in his guise of Keith Lemon - could return to TV one day, he won't be back as host.

He said: "Will 'Celebrity Juice come back? It might do but it won't with me.

"TV and comedy [are] exactly like fashion I think. It all comes back round."

But the star isn't disappearing from TV screens for good as he's got other projects in development.

He said: "If the show I hope will happen happens, it will be early next year."

Leigh previously claimed 'Celebrity Juice' was axed because "nothing is acceptable any more".

He told The Sun newspaper: "Just as fashion and flared trousers have come back round however many times, comedy tastes change.

“Now, nothing is acceptable any more — we had ‘the rules were the rules’ in past times, and they’re ­different now, so of course there are things back then that you wouldn’t do any more.

“You don’t set out to offend anyone, you just set out to make people laugh, but for me, now when I come up with an idea, it has to be a straight one, with just a bit of silliness.

“Quite a lot of comedians are now presenting straight shows, entertainment programmes that are funny, just maybe not as funny as a sketch show.

"And I think it’s a shame for the viewers who still want to see the comedy stuff that we made back in the day, even when we’ve got to change with the playing field and stick to the rules of the time.”