'We're back and we're worse'

Such Brave Girls returns and there's even more chaos. Its stars Kat Sadler, Louise Brealey and Lizzie Davidson fill us in

- WORDS: LAURA CARRENO-MÜLLER

Bafta-winning comedy Such Brave Girls is back and it's not just brave, it's feral. The show returns for a second series, and its writer and star Kat Sadler is gleefully dragging her dysfunctional family of characters through even deeper emotional carnage.

"We're back and we're so much worse," says Kat, 31, who plays Josie. "I've loved torturing all the characters again. I've tried to push them to their limits and really test the audience with how much sympathy they have for our gang."

Also returning is Kat's real-life younger sister, Lizzie Davidson, who plays Josie's volatile sibling, Billie, and Sherlock's Louise Brealey as their wildly unfit mother Deb. And this time no one is safe.

"Every single character has a full breakdown this year," Kat smiles. "I really put the actors through their paces."

The latest series opens with Deb teetering on the edge of ruin. "Her finances are in tatters," says Louise, 46. "She's about to lose the family house and her feminine wiles are frankly not getting quite the response they used to."

Enter Dev (Paul Bazely), a potential financial lifeline and romantic partner.

"Deb actually adores Dev but she can't operate in any way that isn't heavily transactional. The Dev in Deb's head isn't the Dev most people see," Louise says.

"Dev is basically her only hope.