Ten Pound Poms, starring Michelle Keegan, has been axed by the BBC after just two series. 

Michelle plays nurse Kate Thorne in the popular Sunday night period drama, which premiered two years ago, but show bosses have now called time on it.

Ten Pound Poms is set around the lives of a group of Brits who emigrated from post-war Britain to Australia in the 1950s. Fans had been eagerly awaiting news on another series since the last one ended in March.

But confirming that Ten Pound Poms has been cancelled for good, the BBC has thanked its cast and crew for all their hard work. The drama’s writer, Danny Brocklehurst, has also been given a special mention.

A statement from the Beeb said: “It’s been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.”

Decline in viewers

Ten Pound Poms first aired on BBC One in May 2023 and drew in an impressive 6.37million viewers. Fans were quickly captivated by the richly woven plot and stunning location on a cosy Sunday evening. The drama was also based on real experiences, which made the series even more appealing.

But by the end of series 2 in March this year, viewing figures had halved to 3.15million. Actress Michelle was also pregnant during the press launch for the series. She admitted “there’d be a bit of a delay” if a season 3 was commissioned.

Michelle, who has since given birth to her daughter Palma, added at the time: “Yeah, don’t get me wrong – I love this show and I feel very lucky to be a part of it. I feel like if the audience takes with this season and there’s hunger there for another season, fingers crossed the BBC will want another one. I’d definitely be up for it.”

Seeming a little less optimistic, her co-star Faye Marsay – who played Kate’s friend Annie Roberts – added: “I think, like Michelle said, we’ve got to wait and see what the appetite is for it and whether it resonates with people. Only if it’s successful enough will we get a series 3.”

Ten Pound Poms: Series 2 cliffhangers

Sadly for fans, Ten Pound Poms has ended with lots of loose ends that will now never be tied up.

Viewers will be left wondering about the future of baby Mary. Mary’s mother Pattie (Hattie Hook) was the daughter of Terry and Annie. She had arrived in Australia secretly pregnant and unmarried. The baby’s father – back home in England – was black.

Terry and Annie were awarded custody of Pattie’s illegitimate child at the end of series 2. But viewers were left wondering whether Annie – an independent women’s rights campaigner – would really want to give up her new life to raise her granddaughter.

The future also looked bleak for Sheila Anderson. She was arrested for “escaping a psychiatric institute” and viewers will now wonder what happened to her.

Michelle’s character, Kate, was also still fighting to win back her son Michael from his adoptive parents. Sadly, we will never know the outcome to all of these sorry tales. What a shame!

Read more: Riot Women on BBC: Inside the upcoming new series from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright

Ten Pound Poms, series 1 and 2, are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.