Sarah Lancashire reveals when to expect new episodes of ‘Last Tango in Halifax’

Sarah Lancashire has some brilliant and unexpected news for Last Tango in Halifax fans.

(We know it isn’t a period drama, but we love this show and we know you do too, so we thought we’d share this update!)

Last Tango in Halifax launched on BBC One in November 2012 and ran for three seasons, telling the story of former childhood sweethearts Alan and Celia, who reunite in their seventies.

The family comedy-drama series returned with a brief fourth season at Christmas in 2016 and it was widely presumed that these were the final two episodes.

Last Tango star Derek Jacobi, who played Alan, appeared to confirm this in 2017, saying: “…Tango is finished. It’s very sad, we all loved it.”

However, his co-star Nicola Walker, who played Celia’s daughter Gillian, revealed last year that she was still hoping to return to the role.

Walker said: “I didn’t get the memo that said it’s not coming back! I’ve been merrily going along imagining that at some point we’ll do another series. I really hope [we do], because selfishly I love hanging out with all those actors.”

Now we have further positive news from Sarah Lancashire, who played Caroline.

Speaking to Graham Norton on his BBC radio show, the Lark Rise to Candleford star announced: “Yes, I have news. Yes, we do plan to do some more [Last Tango in Halifax] this year.”

Lancashire added: “It’s a great show, and the genius writer, who is Sally Wainwright, is on it. She’s on the case.”

Previous seasons have all premiered in November or December, so we’d expect the fifth season of Last Tango in Halifax to air on BBC One in the UK in late 2019.

Last Tango creator Sally Wainwright’s new period drama series, Gentleman Jack, will air on BBC One later this year.

Sarah Lancashire had good news for fans of the BBC’s police drama series Happy Valley too, which is also written by Wainwright.

She said: “We will return with Happy Valley at some point. That will come back.”

2016’s Last Tango in Halifax specials are available on DVD on Amazon.