In late 2015, The Big Bang Theory’s showrunner Steve Molaro was asked whether season 10 will be the final outing, to which he replied: "I think so.”

“I can't speak to the future or on behalf of the cast or where we'll be then,” he continued, “but it's certainly possible that it could go past that.The reality is that maybe season 10 is the ending point.”

Doubt over the show’s future was cast once more in 2016 by star Kunal Nayyar, who said at MCM Comic-Con: "Look - next season, as it stands on our contract, could be the last season… I know people are gonna want to know what happens after season 10. I don’t know what’s going to happen."

Over a year later and season 10 is finally coming to an end, fans growing increasingly worried Leonard, Sheldon, and Penny’s story will come to an inconclusive end.

Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 1. Jim Parsons ($25,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 2. Johnny Galecki ($24,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 3. Simon Helberg ($22,500,000) getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 4. Nayyar Kunal ($22,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 5. Mark Harmon ($20,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 6. Ty Burrell ($12,500,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 7. Nathan Fillion ($12,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 8. Jesse Tyler Ferguson ($12,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 9. Ray Romano ($12,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 10. Ed O'Neill ($11,500,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 11. Eric Stonestreet ($11,500,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 12. Kevin Spacey ($10,500,000) Kevin Spacey Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 13. Michael Weatherly ($10,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 14. David Duchovny ($10,000,000) Getty Forbes Highest-Paid TV Actors 2016 15. Justin Chambers ($9,500,000) Getty

Finally, we have evidence the show could continue for at least another two seasons with Hollywood trade Deadline detailing that original cast members Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar are all finalising new two-year contracts.

According to the report, the five primary cast members are all looking to earn around $1 million per episode, equivalent for what they made through season eight to 10.

Meanwhile, recent reports have detailed a prequel, based on the early life of Parsons' Sheldon, is in the works, one insider describing the project as ‘Malcolm in the Middle but with a young and potentially teenage version of Sheldon.’