Beyond Paradise star Sally Bretton’s co-star, Lee Mack, the star of ITV’s The 1% Club, has made it clear that he will not be returning to his BBC sitcom Not Going Out in 2024, as he plans to focus on other ventures.
The leading light of The 1% Club opened up about the future of Not Going Out following its landmark 100th episode aired over the festive season. The Christmas special was a hit with fans, celebrating a major milestone for Lee, who is both the lead actor and a writer for the series.
When asked about his plans for the upcoming year amidst his current commitments, including the weekly airing of The 1% Club, Lee revealed his busy schedule: “More 1% Club, more Would I Lie to You? and, for the first year in a long time, I won’t be doing Not Going Out. If we do bring it back, we’re looking at early 2025,” he disclosed.
Furthermore, he stated: “We’re talking about it now. I’d love to do more, I love doing it, it’s great fun, I love the cast but […] it’s not always my decision, these things. I just wait for someone to say, ‘There’s a bag of money, get on with it.”
The series, which aired in 2006 and is the UK’s second longest running sitcom, also stars Sally Bretton as Lee’s wife Lucy, as well as comedian Hugh Dennis, who stepped into a bigger role as Toby following Tim Vine’s departure.
The news is sure to come as a blow to the show’s cast, as Abigail Cruttenden, who co-starred as Anna alongside Deborah Grant and Geoffrey Whitehead as Lucy’s mum and dad, have been regularly seen on TV for years thanks to the show.
Lee opened up about how the show was formed, as he said: “I was doing a sketch show at the Fringe in Edinburgh with Catherine Tate and Dan Antopolski,” he shared. He also recounted the origins of a comedic idea that would later evolve significantly: “There was a thought I had that wasn’t even a joke.”
He went on to describe how a simple comic notion led to the creation of a successful pilot: “Me looking out of a window with a telescope, my wife walks in and I suddenly look up to the stars. In other words, what the hell was I looking at? At best mildly amusing, not a sketch but an idea, so I parked it.”
“Then I had another and another and the sketch grew into a quarter of the show and then became a pilot.”
Beyond Paradise airs Fridays at 8pm on BBC1.