David Dimbleby's last BBC Question Time: Legendary host receives standing ovation as he bids farewell to show after 25 years at the helm

David Dimbleby has bid farewell to Question Time after hosting his final episode of the politics programme after spending 25 years in the presenter’s chair.

The veteran chair of the BBC’s flagship political debate show took the helm for the last time on Thursday night for a show focused on Brexit and Theresa May’s confidence vote survival.

Mr Dimbleby, 80, received a standing ovation from the audience at the end of his final recording as former panellists, politicians and journalists alike praised his quarter-century as host.

Speaking at the end of the show, Mr Dimbleby said: “This programme marks the end of my tenure as the chair… after a quarter of a century I’m off to new pastures, or at least in search of new pastures, but I didn’t want to end without saying something about this programme.

“It is, of all the programmes I’ve ever work on for the BBC, a truly team effort and I did want to end by thanking the people who have made it possible over the past 25 years.”

He added: “Above all I wanted to thank you here tonight - this audience. You’re joining over 100,000 people over the past 25 years who have been in the Question Time audience and who’ve exercised what I think is a really important democratic right: putting questions to the panel and to argue with each other as you have been tonight.”

The panel for Mr Dimbleby's final show included former Brexit Secretary David Davis, Conservative MP Nicky Morgan, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and comedian Jo Brand.

Announcing his departure in June, Mr Dimbleby said he would now return to his first love: reporting, adding that it was “exhilarating following the twists and turns of British politics” while hosting Question Time.

BBC newsreader and Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce will become the first female presenter of the current affairs panel show when she takes over in January.

Ahead of his final show, Mr Dimbleby said: "At the end of the year I will have been chairing Question Time for a quarter of a century and I have decided that this is the right moment to leave.

"It has been a privilege to work for a programme which brings voters face to face with those in power. I am grateful to the production teams and to the BBC who have made this possible.

"It has been exhilarating following the twists and turns of British politics from John Major in 1994, through the Blair and Brown years to Cameron and May. I am not giving up broadcasting.

"Instead, after years in the studio, I now plan to return to my first love: reporting."

During his BBC career, Mr Dimbleby presented political programmes such as Panorama and chaired many debates, including the party leaders' debates in the run-up to general elections since 2010.

He has been the BBC's anchorman for all general elections since 1979 and presented the broadcaster's coverage of the first referendum in Europe, a role he repeated in 2016 for the BBC's coverage of the EU referendum.

The adept presenter’s quick wit made for some stinging one-liners during his career. In one instance, the famously outspoken Piers Morgan was left speechless when Mr Dimbleby schooled him on his use of language.

In vintage fashion, Piers was recounting how he appeared on the Question Time "show" 19 times, to which the host replied: "It's a programme." A humbled Piers said afterwards: "I would like to apologise for denigrating your programme."

In another, Mr Dimbleby could not resist making a quip during a dramatic show in the midst of the MPs expenses scandal in 2009.

Eric Pickles, former chairman of the Tory party, was met by a particularly hostile audience when he attempted to defend owning two homes less than 40 miles apart from one another. He argued that he needed a property close to the House of Commons to make sure he was there on time for meetings.

Mr Dimbleby shot back: “Like a job in other words."

But one exchange of wit famously backfired after the presenter attempted to mock Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Eton education. The Tory MP hit back: “I was at school with your son.”

The programme was peppered with lighter moments amid the debate, largely due to Mr Dimbleby’s sense of fun, and also through social media.

His time on the show has covered the emergence of Twitter and Facebook.

The presenter embraced these new mediums, often to be found on the programme’s online accounts. Following the second referendum he was filmed performing a Brexit rap: : “We’ve triggered Article 50/May’s letter was nifty/Michel Barnier looks shifty/Are we going to have to be thrifty/With a recession in 2050?”

Mr Dimbleby was no stranger to controversy. Notably, in 2009 then-BNP leader Nick Griffin was invited to be a panellist. Mr Griffin was booed and branded “a disgrace” during the show, and Mr Dimbleby spared him no punches.

At one point, Mr Griffin appeared to smile after David asked him about Holocaust denial. Mr Dimbleby said: “Why are you smiling, it’s not a particularly amusing issue.”