The team behind BBC2's The Mash Report have known since November that the show, hosted by Nish Kumar, was not going to be recommissioned by the Beeb, but the news only became public last week, when the Sun ran the story under the headline "Nish Mash Bosh".

The show's fourth series - which was scrambled together in April last year, so after the start of lockdown - had enjoyed its best ratings yet. The [o]BBC[/c] was happy about how it had done (it had outperformed average viewing figures for a 10pm slot on BBC2) and even started making noise about promoting it from one seires a year to two.

Then, in September, Tim Davie arrived as director-general, accompanied by excited noises in the Mail and Telegraph about a coming crackdown on ribald, leftie comedy, and the wind changed. After a long silence, the Beeb decided it couldn't stretch to two series a year, so would opt instead not to have any.

The Mash Report - which incidentally was just about the only TV comedy to feature a right-wing comedian, Geoff Norcott, almost every week - has already had interest from other broadcasters, meaning there's every chance it could end up as another Bake Off. But at least Davie's fans in the press are happy.

BBC flooded with complaints after axing The Mash Report

Fans have also launched a Change.org campaign calling for the BBC to save The Mash Report and over 10,000 people have signed it so far.

Seven hilarious Mash Report moments that went viral

The Mash Report has been responsible for numerous viral moments over the years, and here are 7 of the best.

Why they canned The Mash Report - it's unfunny

It wasn't too 'left-wing' - just painfully unfunny.

No, Nish Kumar's Mash Report hasn't been 'cancelled'

The BBC says The Mash Report's departure is going 'to make room for new comedy shows'. Here's hoping an actual comedy show, as opposed to whatever this was, replaces it.

BBC comedy shows appear to be overwhelmingly biased

BBC topical comedy shows appear to be overwhelmingly biased against figures and institutions on the political right, analysis by the Sunday Telegraph has found.

Episodes of the long-running Have I Got News For You on BBC1 and The News Quiz on Radio 4, together with the more recent Mash Report on BBC2, which were broadcast during lockdown, featured 13 times as many jokes aimed at Right-wing figures and issues as opposed to those on the Left.

BBC's new boss threatens to axe Left-wing comedy shows

New Director-General Tim Davie believes the BBC's comedy output is seen as too one-sided, and unfairly biased against the Tories, Donald Trump and Brexit.

Nish Kumar: taking UK satire to the US

The British comedian and broadcaster on Quibi series Hello America and why the BBC deserves credit for taking a chance on The Mash Report.

Daily Mash publisher swells its coffers

The company behind spoof website Daily Mash has doubled its cash balance in six months.