EXCLUSIVE: The cast of Derry Girls all want to return for a third season

Even more Derry Girls. Hell yeah!

After being away for what felt like an eternity, Season 2 of Derry Girls aired last week and the gang definitely returned with a bang. As always, the gags and one-liners were an absolute riot, but everyone who tuned in also learned something. For example, we now know that Protestants keep toasters in cupboards and that Catholics only go to Bundoran on their holidays. Lisa McGee's comedy is now a bona fide hit that has inspired a rabid fanbase on a global scale. Simply put, Derry Girls is a cultural behemoth that feels like it was touched by 'Big M' herself. In case you need further proof of the show's popularity, Channel 4 says the Season 2 opener had an average of 1.8m people tuning in (in the UK). The gang's trip to the Friends Across the Barricades retreat was the biggest programme for 16-34 year olds, winning the slot with a 21.4% share. Truth be told, impressive numbers like that will almost overshadow the fact that Clare (Nicola Coughlan) was dangling from a cliff while screaming"don't let the jaffa bastard get me!" We'll never forget that line. With the show set to dominate the cultural zeitgeist for the next few weeks, JOE had the chance to chat with the cast of Derry Girls and we had to ask them about a third season and the potential for a film.

“Definitely, I know that we all would return for Season 3," said Nicola Coughlan.

"There are so many more places that we could go with these characters. I have people coming up to me in the street and they’re like ‘we should do this, that, and the other’. There's a real hunger for it and we love doing it. We all certainly hope for more seasons."

Louisa Harland (Orla) was a bit more coy about the show's future, saying: “I mean, we’ll see how the second album plays out," an approached shared by Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin). Regardless of what happens down the line, however, it's clear the Derry Girls cast absolutely love playing these characters. As for the audience and the show's popularity, well, those numbers don't lie. As for a film, Tommy Tiernan (Da Gerry) has previously hinted that a feature-length version of the TV show is in the works, something Lisa McGee said she'd "love to" have a crack at. On that topic, Coughlan was extremely enthusiastic when telling JOE that the Derry Girls film "needs to happen". For the time being, we're just delighted to say there are plenty more episodes of Season 2 to enjoy. While nothing official about a third season (or a film) has been announced yet, we reckon the people at Channel 4 don't have to wise up because they know they've got a hit on their hands. Derry Girls returns to our screens on Tuesday at 9.15pm. https://twitter.com/Channel4/status/1103173363105705985