The showrunner for The Walking Dead has shared an emotional message as the epic series comes to an end, coming close to tears while expressing her gratitude towards the show’s fans.

Having first premiered all the way back in 2010, the drama about a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead has finally drawn to a close with season 11 episode 24, aptly titled ‘Rest In Peace’.

This isn’t a complete goodbye to the TWD universe, given there are several spin-offs in the works, featuring fan-favourite characters including Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan).

Nonetheless, it is the end of an era, and Metro.co.uk recently had the chance to ask The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang how she feels about all of the fans who have supported the comic book-inspired adventure every step of the way.

During our conversation, we mentioned to the TV writer how some fans who’ve watched TWD since season one were kids and teenagers when it first premiered, meaning that they’ve seen the series through all the way into adulthood.

When asked what her message would be to those who have demonstrated their loyalty to the programme over the years, Angela said: ‘My message is, thank you for coming along on the journey – I’m going to try not to cry.’

Some characters have – miraculously – survived ever since season one (Picture: Jace Downs/AMC)

How will viewers react to the story’s ending? (Picture: Jace Downs/AMC)

Angela, who’s worked on TWD for over a decade and took on the role of showrunner for the final three seasons, explained how her own child was born while she was working on the series in season three.

‘He’s now just turned 10, so I’m particularly moved by the stories of people who started watching this when they were young and kind of grew up watching it, or people who went through an entire stage of life during the run of this show,’ she said.

‘Because I do think life works in cycles, so the number of years that this show has been on, that’s like a whole stage of life for people.’

The producer revealed that conversations are shared among The Walking Dead family about the significance of their support from audiences, as she stressed: ‘It’s so touching to all of us.’

Angela became emotional when expressing how much the fans meant to her (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

‘We talk a lot behind the scenes about how much the fans of this show have just touched our hearts and meant a lot to us, and I just want to say thank you,’ she added.

‘Thank you for sticking with us and making us part of your lives, like every Sunday for years, and for creating the community that gives a lot of people support, because I know a lot of people have found friends through this show that they wouldn’t have made otherwise.

‘It’s intensely touching. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’

Michonne and Rick will be back in their own show (Picture: Gene Page/AMC)

Angela is a producer on the upcoming Daryl spin-off (Picture: Josh Stringer/AMC)

Angela is set to continue working within The Walking Dead franchise as a producer on the Daryl spin-off, which will be a follow-up to the original series.

With a cast starring Clémence Poésy as Isabelle and Adam Nagaitis as Quinn, the show will follow Daryl as he mysteriously wakes up on the other side of the Atlantic, before discovering an entirely new side of the zombie apocalypse as he begins his travels in France.

The Walking Dead is available to watch on Disney Plus.

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‘We talk a lot behind the scenes about how much the fans have touched our hearts,’ the showrunner said.