With the comedy transfer window now firmly open, high-flying Mock The Week have moved quickly to land a marquee signing ahead of their new season which begins on BBC Two on Thursday 8 September at 10pm.

Proven international performer Chris Addison passed an intensive – and intrusive – medical at the programme's secret London training base yesterday and, after agreeing a permanent contract for an undisclosed fee, is now set to line up alongside established galacticos Dara O'Briain, Hugh Dennis and Andy Parsons for the next six episodes and the Christmas special.

After being linked with a number of rival shows over the summer – big spending Dancing On Ice, newly promoted Celebrity Big Brother and somewhat surprisingly The Only Way Is Essex amongst them – the The Thick Of It star reportedly found the opportunity of a place alongside veteran satirist Dennis on the topical show's fabled left flank just too good to turn down and issued a "come and get me" plea to the show's producers.

A source quite close to the BBC speculated: "Chris is a great signing for the autumn run. With party conferences and major sporting events coming up, I imagine he'll be given a roving role as he has the ability to supply quality ammunition for Dara in the centre as well as the confidence to go it alone. With appearances from the likes of Micky Flanagan, Milton Jones, Ed Byrne, Stewart Francis, Miles Jupp and Ava Vidal in the pipeline, it looks like Mock The Week really will be the panel show to watch this season."

Mock The Week was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, the creative force behind the iconic improvisation based show Whose Line Is It Anyway? which ran for ten years on British TV before successfully transferring to the United States. Suzanne Gilfillan is the executive editor for the BBC. It is produced for the BBC by independent production company Angst Productions.

AN/KB3