Michaela Coel Won't Write a Third Season of Chewing Gum, Loves to Break Hearts

Michaela Coel is promoting her new BBC limited series Black Earth Rising, in which she co-stars with John Goodman—but in an interview with Vulture, Coel said the show that helped launch her into the spotlight, Chewing Gum, is officially over, dead, kaput. This is devastating news, and Coel apparently loves to dish it out.

She tells Vulture, plain and simple, that she essentially tells fans to get over it. As a fan of the show but a bigger fan of Coel, I fear and respect that level of composure:

Would you do a third season of Chewing Gum?

No. It’s so strange, I kind of relish in this news. It’s like I love giving this bad news. I love telling people it’s over. The party is over. I don’t know why I love it so much because it’s not real, but look you’re still alive, right? It’s like, I get messages from people, they say the wanna kill themselves. “I’m gonna kill myself if you don’t do another season.” You’re still here though, right? Look at that.

Coel adapted Chewing Gum from her one-woman show, and explored the story of Tracey Gordon, a girl from East London who just wants to lose her virgnity, for two seasons. In 2017, Coel put the idea of a third season on hold as she focused on other projects, but a year ago, she said she was staffing up a writers room to bring the show back. It sounds like that plan isn’t happening anymore, at least not with Coel at the helm.

Would you do it for Netflix?

No. Listen, I had a message from someone saying, “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve done a season three.” I’m like, “Good. Do it.” I’m not doing another season. Anybody else can do it. Please, anybody. I’m just not doing it. That’s all. Everybody has permission. I’m just not. For real. [Giggles.]

Toni Morrison said all art is knowing when to stop, and I’m inclined to believe her.