British comedy performers Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou are officially returning to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer with the second series of their surreal sketch show, Ellie and Natasia. Launching on Wednesday, October 21, at 10 p.m., the six-episode production consists of 30-minute installments packed with returning fan-favorite characters, brand-new sketches, and guest appearances.
The comedy duo, known for their distinct brand of exaggerated characters, social observation, and awkward performances, wrote and created the series while also serving as executive producers. The second series follows their critically acclaimed first full run, which originally aired in June 2022.
Returning Fan Favorites and Brand-New Characters
Viewers can look forward to seeing several beloved characters make a comeback. The hygiene-conscious Mums return to the screen, this time appearing as car-based food influencers reviewing supermarket white breads. Also returning are Donna and Nikki, the ambitious entrepreneurs behind the fictional beauty salon Internet Nails, who are ready to scale their flawed beauty empire.
Alongside these returning acts, the new episodes introduce fresh sketches and scenarios, though the creators noted a departure from the first run: the new series will not feature musical parodies. The duo explained that a changing cultural landscape and fewer shared contemporary references made it difficult to develop those concepts this time around.
Production Pressures and Real-Life Changes
The four-year gap between the first and second series was primarily due to coordinating the actors’ demanding commitments. However, the writing and filming schedule for the second run became pressured by real-life developments.
Writing began in September of last year, but White and Demetriou discovered they were both pregnant just a couple of weeks into the process. This prompted a rapid writing and filming schedule to wrap production before either star gave birth, with White ultimately going into labour during the editing phase.
Rather than hiding the changes entirely, the creators incorporated their pregnancies into the show’s framework. Expecting mothers will find nods to their experiences through a dedicated maternity fashion segment and specialized pregnancy treatments offered at the Internet Nails salon, though framing and wardrobe choices also disguised their changing stomachs in certain sketches.
Star-Studded Guest Cast Announced
The upcoming series boasts an impressive roster of guest stars and comedic talent. The BBC confirmed that the episodes will feature appearances from notable names across British comedy and television.
- Steve Coogan (How Are You? Its Alan Partridge)
- Sian Clifford (The Reluctant Vampire)
- Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats)
- Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing)
- Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts)
- Vikki Pepperdine
- Dustin Demri-Burns
- Barney White
- Seb Cardinal
- Alex Owen
- Rosa Robson
- Hugh Skinner
Joking about the casting process, Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou said in a statement: “We had a lot of people begging to be in the show and sadly lots of them didn’t make the cut but the ones that did were definitely the funniest and best looking and transferred the most cash into our bank accounts.”
Production Credits
Ellie & Natasia is a NIT TV production-a joint venture between comedian Harry Hill and CPL Productions, which is a Seven.One Studios company-for BBC iPlayer and BBC Two. Executive producers include Ellie White, Natasia Demetriou, Harry Hill, Danielle Lux, and Mobashir Dar (representing Vibrant Television), while Seb Barwell serves as the BBC commissioning editor.
Fans can catch the premiere on Wednesday, October 21, on BBC Two, with the complete series available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Series 1 remains available on iPlayer for viewers looking to catch up before the new episodes drop.
