Nish Kumar is leaving satirical news programme Late Night Mash after working on the show for the past five years, the comedian announced today.
Formerly known as The Mash Report during its time on BBC Two, the show recently rebranded with its move to Dave, but retained the same creative team both in front of and behind the camera.
The first series under the name Late Night Mash (and fifth overall) concluded last Thursday, with tonight’s highlights episode showcasing the best moments from the latest run.
If the show returns for a sixth time (which is still to be confirmed by UKTV), it will do so with a new presenter at the helm, as Kumar is moving on to pursue other projects.
The news came from a video recorded by Kumar in the Mash Studio, in which he briefly teases that he could be taking over from Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor Who – but this is revealed to be set-up for a hilarious gag.
He said: “I’ve loved being part of this show but I’ve made the difficult decision to step down and spend more time with my emotional problems.”
“I can’t tell you what’s next for me, but let’s just say I’m going to be spending quite a lot of time in a phone box… that’s right, I’m the guy who puts those sexy cards up,” joked Kumar.
The full video can be found below:
We interrupt your doomscrolling for a message from @MrNishKumar pic.twitter.com/vQvAkgLGvB
— Dave (@davechannel) October 28, 2021
Kumar followed up the video with a post to his own social media profile, where he thanked all who worked on the show for making it a success, thus defying the expectations of some who doubted the concept.
It reads: “When we started in 2017, we were told a show like this wouldn’t work on British TV. The fact that it has is the result of the talent and hard work of everyone involved in making the show.
“Most importantly, thanks for watching.”
A note on #LateNightMash - perfect that I fucked up writing the word "clumsiness" pic.twitter.com/DvDRia1AU6
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) October 28, 2021
Kumar has recently appeared on episodes of Sky’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Richard Ayoade’s Question Team, while he is also planning a stand-up tour next year titled Your Power, Your Control.
Late Night Mash concludes tonight at 10pm on Dave with a highlights episode. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.