Phoebe Waller-Bridge insists ‘exhausted’ Fleabag will never return to BBC and urges fans to ‘let it go’

PHOEBE Waller-Bridge has ruled out writing another season of Fleabag – and wants fans to “let it go”.

The dark comedy finished in 2019, but fans have been begging to find out what happens to fragile Fleabag after the ‘Hot Priest‘ breaks up with her at the end of series two.

Asked if she would satisfy Fleabag lovers with a third installment, Phoebe, 35, said: “No. I think we have to let her go, she’s exhausted. She’s been through a lot.”

However, she says she will work with the cast again.

“But we’re all going to work together again, so there will be something of the Fleabag spirit to come back,” she told The Notebook.

Luckily for fans, that will happen sooner rather than later because Phoebe is joining (Hot Priest) Andrew Scott in the next series of His Dark Materials.

Andrew revealed she will play the voice of his character John Perry’s daemon, when talking about the BBC adaptation at a virtual Comic Con event last week.

Dæmons are the external physical manifestation of a person’s “inner-self” that takes the form of an animal in the Philip Pullman fantasy series, and Andrew teased: “So much of what’s beautiful to me about the books and the series is the relationship with the daemons.

“So I do have a relationship with my daemon – and I think this is the first time we’re revealing this but my daemon is going to be played by somebody who is very close to me in real life who is a young performer and writer called Phoebe Waller Bridge. 

“I’m thrilled about that because it’s all about companionship, friendship and loyalty and that’s what I feel about Phoebe in my real life.”

Phoebe will voice a female osprey daemon named Sayan Kötör in the show – but will only feature in a handful of appearances.

The second season of His Dark Materials will air on BBC One later this year and will not be delayed by the pandemic.

Other big names from Fleabag are Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, who starred as Fleabag’s Godmother/Step-mother.

Sian Clifford played Claire, Fleabag’s uptight sister, along with Brett Gelman as her husband, Martin and Hugh Skinner was Fleabag’s on-off boyfriend Harry, with Jenny Rainsford played Boo.

Phoebe spoke about what inspired her to write the character Fleabag, admitting she sees a part of the character in herself.

“It’s not autobiographical, but it is really, really personal.

“And I think people are so relieved when they feel that something is honest and truthful.”

“Fleabag was the moment where I thought, ‘Oh, f*** it! I’m just going to write this.’ I think when you have that feeling you just go off.”