Comedian Michael McIntyre will return to BBC One this autumn to host a new series of his Saturday night entertainment show, after he was robbed by hammer-wielding thieves on mopeds.
The BBC has announced that the fourth series of Michael McIntyre’s Big Show will run for eight episodes, its longest to date.
The former Britain’s Got Talent judge, 42, welcomed the announcement saying: “I’m thrilled at the continued success of the Big Show.
“Every series gets bigger and better and Series 4 will be our most ambitious yet.
“There will be new audience surprises as well as returning favourites such as Send To All, the Midnight Gameshow and some extraordinary stunts for the Unexpected Star of the Show. I can’t wait!”
Dan Baldwin, managing director of production company Hungry McBear Media added: “We are delighted Michael McIntyre’s Big Show is coming back for an extended run.
“Michael has been touring non-stop on his world tour and is on the best form of his life – which is going to lead to an outstanding series for BBC One.”
McIntyre was targeted by robbers while he waited to pick up his children from school in Golders Green, north London at the beginning of June.
The windows of his black Range Rover were smashed and he was forced to hand over a Rolex watch.
The comedian discussed the incident on stage during his return to live stand-up at a sold out show at Dublin’s 3Arena.
Thanking his fans for being “amazingly supportive”McIntyre said: “It was not so much the fast and the furious as stationary and panicking. I could not get it started.
“It was fight or flight.”
Back. Thank you Dublin x pic.twitter.com/cfT5oYWVRc
— Michael McIntyre (@McInTweet) June 7, 2018
He even joked about his stolen watch during the set, quipping: “They say time is the healer. I have lost my watch, how is time going to heal? I have no idea what time it is.”
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show was originally commissioned as one-off Christmas special in 2015, with a full series being ordered the following year.
McIntyre’s work on the variety show earned him a Bafta TV award for best entertainment performance in 2017.
The show’s previous series was its most successful yet, attracting an average of 6.9 million viewers.