Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Fiona Shaw CBE join the cast of Fleabag

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Fiona Shaw CBE are set to guest star in series two of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's multi award-winning series Fleabag. The highly anticipated second series, which is produced by Two Brothers Pictures, will premiere on BBC Three this spring.

Fleabag is back for a second bite, and this time she is going toe to toe with the man upstairs. In an unexpected twist of fate, our lost little rascal meets a Priest (Andrew Scott) who jolts her into seeing the world in a different way. Picking up a year on, there are still old wounds to unpick and new ones to dress, as the next chapter of Fleabag's life takes her to hell and back.

Since the end of the last hilarious series - when her entire family rejected her, her darkest secret was revealed and she nearly threw herself in front of a car - she's back for more laughs than ever.

Fleabag and Claire are brought together by an unexpected attack, and tensions rise as another side of her sister emerges. Further afield, Dad still can't look Fleabag in the eye and Godmother slithers closer into the girls' lives.

Joyful, bleak, poignant and sucker-punch funny, the original cast is joined by a car-crash of new characters as we delve further into the world of Fleabag. With hope and faith at the core of series two, our heroine finds herself in the midst of a battle she is determined to win: Fleabag Vs God.

Scott Thomas and Shaw join a stellar principal cast for Fleabag's series two, which includes returning cast members Olivia Colman (Godmother), Sian Clifford (Claire), Bill Paterson (Dad), Brett Gelman (Martin), Jenny Rainsford (Boo), Hugh Skinner (Harry), Hugh Dennis (Bank Manager), and the already announced addition of Andrew Scott (The Priest).

Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge says: "They literally begged me to be in it. Begged me. Begged. One of them was crying."

Kirstin Scott Thomas says: "Phoebe Waller Bridge cannot be ignored. She manages to hit core issues with sledgehammer brutality as she trips along with a spring in her step. I laughed helplessly as I binge watched the first brilliantly funny series and enjoyed being aghast at times. I was very flattered to be asked to be in series two."

Fiona Shaw says: "Phoebe's mind is like nothing else."

Phoebe and Fiona most recently worked together on the international hit series Killing Eve, where Fiona played the role of Carolyn Martens, the Head of the Russian Service at M16. Phoebe adapted the series from the novellas Codename Villanelle and Executive Produced the series, which received widespread critical acclaim. The show secured wins at the Golden Globes, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, the Gotham Awards and the Television Critics Association Awards, as well a remarkable 25 nominations, including two Primetime Emmy nominations. To date, the box set has received 43 million requests on BBC iPlayer.

Fiona Shaw is perhaps best-known for her role as Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter series, as well as for playing Marnie Stonebrook in True Blood and Miss Lomax in the 1990 hit series Three Men And A Little Lady. She is a five-time Olivier Award nominee and won the Best Actress Award in both 1990 and 1994.

Kristin Scott Thomas is a five-time Bafta and five-time Olivier Award nominee, who won the Bafta Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Four Weddings And A Funeral and the Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2008 for the Royal Court revival of The Seagull.

Shane Allen, Controller Comedy Commissioning at the BBC says: "Phoebe's singular writing and vision has been blessed by British acting royalty lending their talents to the new series. If it was any more starry you'd get a migraine."

Two Brothers Productions say: "We are so excited for the return of Phoebe's truly original and much-loved show, and we're honoured that both Kristin and Fiona have lent their incredible talents to this second series. We can't wait for audiences to see Fleabag's next set of adventures and these very special guest appearances unfold."

Fleabag launched as BBC Three's most popular and acclaimed show of 2016 and went on to sweep the boards at awards ceremonies in 2016 and 2017, winning a Bafta, two Royal Television Society awards, two Broadcast Awards and a British Press Guild Award, among a string of other accolades. Fleabag series one was a Critics' Choice TV Awards nominee for Best Comedy Series and Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

Fleabag is created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and directed by Harry Bradbeer. The producer is Sarah Hammond, and executive producers are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Harry Bradbeer, Lydia Hampson, Jack and Harry Williams for Two Brothers Pictures and Joe Lewis for Amplify Pictures. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Kate Daughton. The series was commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, whilst he was Controller of BBC Three, and Controller of Comedy Commissioning Shane Allen.

Fleabag is a Two Brothers Pictures production in association with DryWrite for the BBC and Amazon Studios. all3media is Two Brothers Pictures' international partner, handling global sales for Fleabag.