Australian comedian Deborah Frances-White will become the 100th panellist to appear on BBC comedy programme Mock the Week when the show returns to screens in the autumn.

Frances-White will make the landmark appearance in an episode that will air on September 14.

Hugh Dennis at the British Academy Children’s Awards
Hugh Dennis has appeared in every episode of Mock the Week since it began in 2005. (Ian West/PA)

She will follow in the footsteps of comedians who featured on the largely improvised comedy show early in their careers, including the likes of Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, Micky Flanagan, Sarah Millican, Romesh Ranganthan, Katherine Ryan and Jack Whitehall.

A spokesman for the show said: “When you look at the incredible list of talent Mock the Week has brought through over the last 17 series, you remember the remarkable journeys these performers have been on.

“They arrive as nervous young stand ups, keen to make the most of a prime time TV opportunity and grow into global superstars selling out stadia.”

They jokingly added: “We wanted to organise a big 100th performer reunion party but unfortunately most of them have blocked us on Twitter and their phones just seem to ring out.”

Mock the Week was created by television producers and writers Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, who were behind the improv-based show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

The programme made its debut on BBC Two on June 5, 2005 with host Dara O Briain and comedian Hugh Dennis having appeared in all 181 episode (as of July 12, 2018).

The second half of the latest series of Mock the Week will run for six weeks through September and October 2018.