John Bishop presents a brand new topical chat show Saturday nights on ITV, The John Bishop Show, which will be co-produced by So Television, part of ITV Studios and Lola Television.

The comedy superstar and actor, currently on a huge arena tour with his new stand-up show Right Here Right Now and star of the latest Doctor Who series, is getting ready to bring his all-round comedic brilliance to ITV for six weeks with a show recorded in front of a live audience close to transmission to give it an up-to-the-wire edge.

Each week John will open the show with a stand-up routine and then chat to guests. John will also be checking the global comedy pulse with a team of stand-ups from all over the world. Australia's Matt Okine appeared on the first show talking about tennis and Djokovic. First guests are James Nesbitt of Netflix hit Stay Close and Sarah Millican who sets out on her Bobby Dazzler tour this year and has just added extra dates.

Further details are still under wraps at press time.

An award-winning comic, with multiple sell-out tours, John’s a favourite fixture on screens with credits including factual series John Bishop’s Great Whale Rescue and John Bishop’s Ireland, hit drama series Fearless, host of iconic The Royal Variety Performance, starring as a guest panellist on entertainment smash The Masked Dancer and more.

Hopefully Bishop will have more luck with his TV show than his gigs this week. On Tuesdya he tweeted: "I am sorry but the gigs this week in Bexhill and Torquay have to be postponed as a member of the crew has tested positive for covid and can't be replaced at short notice, New dates are 22nd Feb for Bexhill and March 14th for Torquay. All other shows remain as planned.I apologise"

Talking about his Doctor Who role he tweeted: "Dreams do come true. Had anyone told me as a boy that one day I would be meeting a dalek on TV I would never have believed them."

The John Bishop Show, Saturday, January 8, 9.30pm, ITV1

Picture of John Bishop: ITV1