Programmes downloaded from the UK can also be viewed abroad for up to 30 days, so you can take the BBC on holiday with you. Once you’ve pressed play, you can keep watching for seven more days.

The mobile downloads feature will initially be available on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, but will launch on Android devices soon.

Daniel Danker, General Manager, Programmes and On-Demand for the BBC, commented: “With mobile downloads for BBC iPlayer, you can now load up your mobile phone or tablet with hours and hours of BBC television programmes, then watch them on the road, on the tube, on a plane, without worrying about having an internet connection or running up a mobile data bill.”

The BBC iPlayer app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.