Chris Colfer is not leaving Glee: Hackers posted hoax tweet from actor's account

The actor has played Kurt Hummel in the popular TV programme since it began in 2009

Actor Chris Colfer pictured attending Fox's 'GLEE' 100th Episode Celebration held at Chateau Marmont on March 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)

Hackers tricked Glee fans on Thursday, by posting a false statement from Chris Colfer's account announcing that the actor was leaving the award-winning programme ahead of its final season.

Glee producer 20th Century Fox confirmed that the announcement was not made by Colfer.

“We’ve been alerted that Chris Colfer’s Twitter account has been hacked. Rumors of his dismissal from Glee could not be further from the truth. We love Chris and look forward to working with him again this season," it told Entertainment Weekly.

In the message posted to Twitter, hackers posing as the 24-year-old cited "personal issues" for his departure from the show in which he played Kurt Hummel for almost half a decade.

It continued that "explanations will come shortly".

The actor was on a mid-Atlantic flight without internet connection when the message was posted, and was not able to delete the post, his manager told The Hollywood Reporter.

Thursday's announcement was re-tweeted thousands of times, with fans expressing their confusion at the shock announcement in replies on the social media website.

"Just seriously kinda dumbstruck," wrote one fan, Kirsten Kranz.

Prior to the tweet, Colfer told E! news in May that he thought it was a good time to end the programme.

"I think it will be a good time to conclude the series," he told reporters.

"It's a very, very difficult show to do, as everyone knows, and I think when people say that we're the hardest working cast and crew in television, I don't think it's an overstatement. I think it's very much the reality," he added.