The show is based on a French format that has sold to 14 territories

The Assembly has been recommissioned by ITV for a second, extended run at Rockerdale Studios.

The format sees a group of neurodivergent, autistic and/or learning-disabled people putting their no-holds-barred questions to a celebrity subject.

The first series, which received widespread critical acclaim, featured Gary Lineker, Danny Dyer, David Tennant and Jade Thirlwall, with Michael Sheen having appeared in the pilot for the BBC before the show was picked up to series by ITV.

The Assembly is an adaptation of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, known internationally as The A Talks, which has featured appearances from French notables including President Emmanuel Macron. The series now airs in 14 territories including French Canada, Australia and Brazil.

The second series of the UK version was commissioned by Katie Rawcliffe, director of entertainment & daytime commissioning ITV and David Smyth, entertainment commissioner ITV. The executive producers are Michelle Singer and Stu Richards for Rockerdale Studios. Rockerdale is a Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund company and is part of STV Studios.

The show qualifies for ITV’s Diversity Commissioning Spend, an £80m pot within content commissioning over the next three years that is ring-fenced for programmes that meet the qualifying criteria, including diverse company ownership or leadership, or two of the remaining three criteria around either diverse creative leadership, diverse stories and portrayal on-screen, or diverse salary spend.

Rawcliffe said of the recommission: “This really is ITV entertainment at its best: warm, funny, revealing and just that little bit mischievous. We’ve got lots of ideas about which famous faces will join for series 2 and we’re eager to see what we’ll learn from the fantastic questions The Assembly will have.”

Richards added: “I cannot believe we’re still getting away with this. The chance to make something that plays by almost none of the rules of normal telly is just such a ludicrous privilege. I’m absolutely buzzing to be honest.”