Young Sheldon: Two Big Bang Theory main characters to return in series finale

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Two original stars of The Big Bang Theory are set to reprise their roles in spin-offYoung Sheldon.

The popular series, which focuses on the exploits of a young Sheldon Cooper prior to the events of the long-running sitcom, is coming to an end after seven seasons.

To mark the event, Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik will return as the adult version of Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler respectively, for the series finale, which will air on 16 May.

This will be the first time the pair have been seen since The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019 – reportedly after Parsons "turned down $50m" to sign up for another batch of episodes.

Original series The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019. Alongside Parsons and Biyalik, it starred Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg.

Last month, addressing why Young Sheldon is coming to an end, executive producer Steve Holland explained: “There are certain things we know happen in Sheldon’s life at 14.

“We started talking about the future of show and what it looked like. This is the right time for this story to come to an end, knowing that at 14, he goes off to Cal Tech. It felt like the right time to end it strong while it was on top.”

Iain Armitage, who plays the title character in the comedy series, also attended the press conference, and said: “Can’t we just leave it at: I’m tall and cool and I look like Jim [Parsons] now?”

Elsewhere, Lorre revealed how the popular spin-off almost didn’t happen.

The showrunner said he was not planning on “going forward” with the show until Armitage’s mum sent in an audition tape, showing the actor nailing a scene Lorre had written.

“This guy killed it. And if that had not happened, we wouldn’t have gone forward. It’s the miracle of casting Young Sheldon. It was one we understood was likely not going to happen but it did. And this family blossomed around him,” he added.

While Young Sheldon is coming to an end, this won’t be the end for the show’s universe, with creator Chuck Lorre announcing another spin-off, which will reportedly be based on the characters of Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) and his fiancée Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment).