Though it seemed Michaela Coel might’ve run out of steam on Chewing Gum, she’s discovered a new way to get the creative juices flowing. She tells the London Times that when the show goes into production on its third season later this year, she’ll open it up to a writers room after being the sole scribe on the first two seasons in which she also starred. “Because I don’t want to die. My sets are not peaceful. It’s a beautiful catastrophe. I am running around like a headless chicken. I don’t sleep because I am writing. It’s manic,” she says. Coel was inspired to be more collaborative after working on Black Mirror. She adds, “I love it — I don’t know if I would want it any other way, but I’ve learnt from working with proper people like Charlie [Brooker]; they really prepare in advance.” Coel teases that while her profile has risen since Chewing Gum, she’s still messy and Tracey will be, too, when she returns: “Surprisingly, my life hasn’t got any less embarrassing. So no, I haven’t run out of material. Sadly.”
