ABC TV show Hard Quiz is to come to an end, with its host – comedian Tom Gleeson – announcing he is quitting and discontinuing its production.

Gleeson, who has hosted the show for four series, announced his decision on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

“This was not an easy decision to make,” he said.

“The demands of hosting a show have meant I was unable to spend as much time as I would like to performing stand-up.”

I’ve quit #HardQuiz. pic.twitter.com/sZwNYpyyPC

— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) May 24, 2019

Gleeson first appeared on TV on Channel 10’s comedy sketch program skitHouse. He also has a number of other TV credits, including Good News Week, Thank God You’re Here, The Glass House, Rove, The Project and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.

Hard Quiz, in which Gleeson pits four contestants against each other, premiered in 2016. Contestants show off their knowledge of specialist subjects, all seeking the glory of a token prize – “the big brass mug”.

Hard Quiz has just finished its fourth series.

The show is a spin-off of Gleeson’s Hard Chat segment on the satirical television news program The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.

Gleeson was also known for being behind a viral campaign in 2018 to win former Family Feud host Grant Denyer the Gold Logie. With the hashtag Denyer4Gold, he drove a social media campaign that propelled Denyer to the top of voting, and eventual success.

“Because the Logies are an absolute joke, how good would it be if you won the gold for a show that wasn’t on air?” Gleeson said to Denyer on Hard Chat.

Ironically, Gleeson is nominated for most popular presenters at this year’s Logies, and Hard Quiz for most popular entertainment show.

Finalists for the 2019 Logies will be announced on Sunday and the awards will be presented on the Gold Coast on June 30.