Can You Keep a Secret? confirmed to return for season 2 as Dawn French promises “havoc”

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Good news for fans: the BBC has renewed its sitcom, Can You Keep a Secret?, starring Dawn French, for another season. This means viewers won’t be left wondering about the show’s dramatic ending!

This funny show centers around Debbie Fendon (played by French) who tries to keep the life insurance money she receives after her husband is accidentally declared dead by a clumsy doctor.

Can You Keep a Secret? features a talented cast including Mark Heap (known from Friday Night Dinner), Mandip Gill (from Doctor Who), and Craig Roberts (of Bad Neighbours). All four actors will be back for a second season.

Following a strong debut for Can You Keep a Secret?, which reached 5.3 million viewers in its first 28 days – over half of whom watched on BBC iPlayer – the show has been renewed for another season.

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French expressed their delight at the news of a second series, saying they were thrilled. They joked that fans could look forward to more of Debbie’s demanding personality and the chaos it causes – which they see as a good thing!

So, as the first season went on, more and more people figured out Debbie was running a scam. It quickly turned into a really dangerous situation – her whole family became targets for blackmail, and they were all facing potential jail time! But honestly, even with everything falling apart, she was stubbornly convinced she could fix it all somehow. It was wild to watch!

Simon Mayhew-Archer, the creator of the series, based the character of William (played by Heap) on his own father, who also has Parkinson’s disease. The character’s quirky personality was inspired by his dad.

Mayhew-Archer described making the show as a really happy experience. They emphasized that comedy relies on teamwork, praising the entire cast and crew – including Dawn, Mark, Craig, and Mandip – as wonderful people to work with.

As a huge sitcom fan, I’m absolutely thrilled people have connected with our show and embraced the Fendons! Honestly, it means the world. I’m really hoping this success will open doors for more comedies to be made all over the UK – we’re genuinely good at making people laugh, and it’s something we should definitely keep doing!

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Kenton Allen, the show’s executive producer, highly commended ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ He said the show cleverly blends a playful and fun idea with real, heartfelt emotion, suggesting it has the potential to become a lasting favorite.

Jon Petrie, who commissions comedies for the BBC, said viewers really enjoyed “Can You Keep a Secret?” and they’re excited to make another series, promising more surprising reveals.

Can You Keep a Secret? is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Don’t miss ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about television and streaming drama and comedy for TopMob. Before joining them, he worked at Starburst Magazine, hosted the podcast ‘The Winter King’ for ITVX, and earned a Journalism degree from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-02-18 21:04