'Grey's Anatomy' renewed for season 19 ahead of the show's return

Grey's Anatomy has been renewed for season 19, ABC has confirmed.

The announcement was made on Monday, Jan. 10. Original cast members including Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., and Meredith Grey herself, Ellen Pompeo, are set to return in the next season of America's longest-running medical drama.

Krista Vernoff, who will continue to serve as showrunner, said: "I'm excited to work with our extraordinary writers to dream up where we go from here, and I'm always grateful to our partners at Disney and ABC for letting us tell bold stories with real impact."

Former showrunner Shonda Rhimes also celebrated Grey's Anatomy's renewal, stating: "I couldn't be more excited that we get to keep telling the stories of Meredith, Bailey, Richard, and all of the other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial for another season.

"This is a true testament to Krista Vernoff, the cast, the crew, and all the writers who keep the audience on the edge of their seat week after week. And it would not be possible without the generations of incredible fans who have supported Grey's Anatomy for so many years", Rhimes added.

The news was shared on the show's official Twitter account; you can see that tweet below:

This announcement comes after lead actor Ellen Pompeo recently made headlines for revealing she was trying to get others to commit to bringing Grey's Anatomy to an end.

Speaking to Insider, Pompeo said: "I've been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end. I feel like I'm the super naive one who keeps saying 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?' And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars."

Grey's Anatomy season 18 is currently on a winter break but will return later this year. You can stream the first half of Grey's Anatomy season 18 on Hulu in the US or on NOW in the UK