Adrian Dunbar jokes about 'Line of Duty' acronyms as he hosts 'Have I Got News For You'

Adrian Dunbar used his guest hosting gig on panel show Have I Got News For You to take a loving swipe at Line of Duty and its parade of police jargon.

The 62-year-old star is currently playing Superintendent Ted Hastings in the sixth series of Jed Mercurio's BBC crime drama.

Read more: Test your Line of Duty knowledge

Mercurio's scripts have become infamous for their use of impenetrable police slang, including acronyms such as CHIS (covert human intelligence source) and OCG (organised crime group).

Dunbar's appearance as guest host of Have I Got News For You saw him make an amusing reference to this propensity for jargon.

Watch: How does Alexa respond to big Line of Duty question?

Discussing recent news in the COVID-19 vaccine programme, he said: "One vaccine development this week is that AZ has been backed by the MHRA, an EMA using data from the ONS and the PHE to support the JCV.

"I mean, hang on, I only said yes to this show to get away from b****y acronyms."

Read more: Ranking the first five series of Line of Duty

Dunbar was joined on the panel show by comedian Katherine Ryan and Sunday Times journalist Tim Shipman, alongside regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton.

The star's performance as guest host attracted rave reviews from Line of Duty fans.

Line of Duty is currently in the midst of its sixth series, with Kelly Macdonald guest starring as DCI Jo Davidson, alongside show regulars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure.

This particular series is dealing with the murder of a journalist, which is believed to be linked to the same criminal gang the characters have been investigating for several years.

Read more: Collecting the best DCI Jo Davidson theories

Compston has suggested that this Sunday's episode has plenty of excitement in store for fans.

He told his Instagram followers that they will "need therapy" by the end of the episode, with shocks to dwarf last week's shocking cliffhanger.

Line of Duty is one of the BBC's most reliable ratings hits, with 9.6 million viewers tuning in to watch the first episode of the sixth series in March.

The show had been off air since 2019, with production on the sixth series forced to pause in early 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic.

Read more: Vicky McClure reveals The Fonz is a Line of Duty fan

Mercurio has revealed that the airdate for the series was ultimately brought forward, with some episodes still in post-production just days before they were due to premiere on TV.

This series will comprise seven episodes rather than the usual six, with the finale due to be broadcast on 2 May.

Watch: Teaser for the sixth series of Line of Duty