ITV1 has axed mainstream sitcoms Bids of a Feather starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph and Bad Move, starring Jack Dee, Kerry Godliman, Miles Jupp and Seann Walsh.

According to the Mirror Birds of a Feather has bitten the dust after three series and two Christmas specials. ITV head Kevin Lygo said: “We had success with Birds of a Feather, that was our most successful sitcom in years, but it’s come to a sort of natural end.”

Lygo suggested that ITV1's viewers would have to get their sitcom-style fix from shows such as Coronation Street in the future: "We had two series of the Jack Dee sitcom but I don’t think we’re continuing with it now. It’s just very, very hard...Audiences can get their fix of character-based comedy from Corrie.”