Normal People will return for TWO new specials

Normal People will return for two specials after series one broke BBC iPlayer records as fans still can’t get enough of the hit show.

The drama, based on the novel of the same name by Sally Rooney, follows Irish students Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as they navigate social and class dynamics from school to university. 

The two specials will air on Friday June 26 on on RTÉ Does Comic Relief in Ireland, with Paul and Daisy reprising their roles.

The charity’s co-founder Richard Curtis thrilled fans when he confirmed the news, which will imagine the lead characters’ lives several decades into the future.  

Speaking on RTE Radio 1’s Sunday with Miriam, he said: ‘There’s a beautiful piece called Normal Older People, which is imagining what would have happened to Marianne and Connell 40 years from now.

‘I promise you, these are two very special bits. It’s so much better than anything we’ve ever made.

‘I mean I can’t even say all about it because there’s a guest star in it. But it’s really, it’s really beautiful.

‘One of the things about Comic Relief is it just gives opportunities for things to happen that would never happen.

‘I can’t imagine any context in which they would have allowed this little sort of extra special into the world of Normal People.’

Richard also confirmed that series director Lenny Abrahamson will also return to helm the specials. 

Daisy and Paul bonded during filming of the series with the actress recently calling him a ‘friend for life’.

Speaking to Porter magazine, she said: ‘I feel very lucky to have met Paul through this process. He’s a wonderful, wonderful person and a very giving actor…he’ll be a friend for life.’

It comes after Normal People was revealed to be the most watched show on BBC Three ever.

The first episode of the drama has now been watched by 6.75 million devices just two months after it aired, making it the most popular programme on the channel ever.

Although Normal People was originally a BBC Three show, the programme was also shown weekly on BBC One.

Normal People has also been a huge hit in America and is being streamed on Hulu.

Controller for BBC Three Fiona Campbell previously said of the show’s success:

‘We’re delighted that Normal People has been such a success and so many people have come to iPlayer to watch it.

‘From the initial read-through, the phenomenal thought and preparation the directors put into everything from the aesthetics and locations through to the costumes, we felt this incredible piece would always be unique, and it’s clear the audience thinks so too.

‘It’s a modern masterpiece which has helped in catapulting the careers of two brilliant young actors, and we’re looking forward to bringing more drama to BBC Three in the future.’