Whitstable Pearl fans have been begging for a series 4 and more slow-burning chemistry from Pearl and Mike – so will the cosy crime be returning?

Series 3 first aired on Acorn TV in October 2024, before getting its free-to-air premiere on U&Drama in July 2025. But there was no happy ending for the two will-they-won’t-they protagonists. Well, not quite…

So what’s the future of the show? Here’s everything we know about Whitstable Pearl series 4, including whether Pearl and Mike get together…

***Warning: mild spoilers from Whitstable Pearl series 3 ahead***

Is there a series 4 of Whitstable Pearl?

Whitstable Pearl series 4 has not yet been confirmed. Neither Acorn TV or U&Drama – who both air the show – have revealed the future of the cosy crime show. But it doesn’t need a detective like DCI Mike McGuire to work out it’s very likely another series will be commissioned.

The show remains very popular with viewers. Not only because of its beautiful location, episodic mysteries, and likeable cast. There’s also the draw of Pearl and Mike’s sweet relationship. Will Pearl sweet nature ever manage to crack Mike’s steely (slightly grumpy) veneer?

Whitstable Pearl has the potential to run for years. Watch this space for more info on a possible series 4.

What happened at the end of series 3?

The final episode of series 3, entitled Someone Like Me, saw Pearl and Mike reunite once again to crack a tricky case.

When a taxi driver was found shot in his car, Mike and Nikki discovered that he’d previously avoided a rape charge with the help of a slick, female lawyer, Rhea. When ex-investment banker turned whistle-blower, Anthony, narrowly missed an assassin’s bullet, too, he visited Pearl to ask for her help.

Together, Pearl, Mike and Nikki realised that Gabriel, Anthony’s solicitor, and Rhea had teamed up to kill the taxi driver – and Anthony. They had belated found a conscience and decided to deliver some belated justice.

Meanwhile, Pearl (Kerry Godliman) tracked down the woman involved in the accident that killed Mike’s wife… But was Mike able to get closure at last?

What happened to Mike’s wife?

Viewers will know that Mike’s late wife Kat – the love of his life – died in a tragic car accident several years before. Something he has never been able to forgive himself for.

In series 3, Mike was attending grief therapy and fulfilling his wife’s bucket list. In fact, in episode 1, Mike had returned from walking the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage in Spain, and the penultimate thing on his wife’s bucket list.

We knew that Mike had been driving at the time of his wife’s death. He had run through a red light in a bid to catch a “dangerous criminal”. At the same time, another car had driven into the side of their car killing Mike’s wife. Crucially, the driver had driven away, leaving Mike with lots of questions, and unable to get the closure he needed.

In the final episode of series 3, we found out who had been in the other car. Pearl tracked down the woman who had been involved in the car crash. Evie Blake was a single mum, exhausted from raising her young twins. Terrified of social services, she’d fled the scene of the crime.

After being approached by Pearl, it was clear the single mum of two was also full of remorse. She wrote Mike a letter explaining exactly what happened and why she acted as she did and offering to meet with him. Mike subsequently met Evie and finally got some much-needed closure.

At the end of the episode, Mike told Pearl: “I’m always going to have to live with what happened that day. But that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a life.”

Who is Charlie’s dad and Pearl’s ex?

As for what could happen in series 4 of Whitstable Pearl and beyond, we wonder if Pearl’s ex Robert might make an (unwelcome) appearance. In episode 4 of series 4, we discovered that Robert had actually been convicted of a crime.

Living in Toronto, Robert had been involved in some sort of scam, and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 12 months.

Fans of the show will know that Pearl’s ex, and Charlie’s dad, disappeared when Pearl was three months pregnant. He left behind a car and a ‘suicide’ note… However, the police never showed Pearl the note, and his disappearance was a central mystery in the first series. Either way, he’d done a runner. 

By all accounts, he’s bad news. But we’d be interested to meet him one day, wouldn’t you?

Do Pearl and Mike get together in Whitstable Pearl?

At the end of Whitstable Pearl series 3, Pearl and Mike were closer than ever, with Pearl promising to always be there for him. But they remained friends.

Fans will know that the duo have had a strong connection since series 1, but they’ve never crossed the line into romance. Their ‘will-they-or-won’t-they’ dynamic is a central theme of the show.

Of course, both Pearl and Mike have been hurt before. Pearl by her ex, and Mike by the death of his wife. But even Cassie, the psychic in episode 2, saw that the pair could heal each other’s wounds.

Meeting them during the case of a missing child, she incorrectly assumed that Pearl and Mike were “soulmates, twin flames, a one in a lifetime connection”. Bit awkward as it was in front of Pearl’s actual boyfriend Tom at the time. Tom soon got the message that he was more into Pearl than she was him, though. They split up after his plans to propose went awry in episode 3.

So will the crime fighters get together in series 4 of Whitstable Pearl? They’d better, or we will riot!

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Whitstable Pearl series 3 is available to stream on U&Drama.