'My Mad Fat Diary' to get second series on E4

Actress Sharon Rooney who plays Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary (Channel 4 )

Another series of My Mad Fat Diary has been re-commissioned for E4.

The successful drama, based on the real-life teenage diaries of author Rae Earl, has pulled in an average total audience of 1.2 million per episode.

Billed as combining the hormonal angst of The Inbetweeners with the self-deprecation of Bridge Jones’s Diary, My Mad Fat Diary has been heralded by the likes of Sarah Millican and Caitlin Moran for its honest, sometimes painful, portrayal of adolescence.

The show has also won praise for shedding light on teenage mental health and body image issues, as it follows obese protagonist Rae’s recovery from a spell in a psychiatric ward.

Sophie Gardiner, Channel 4 commissioning editor for drama, said: “Thanks to Tom Bidwell’s funny and insightful writing, and Sharon Rooney’s stand-out performance as the great Rae Earl, My Mad Fat Diary has captured the hearts of the E4 audience, and we are delighted that the show is returning to E4.”

The final episode of series one of My Mad Fat Diary airs tonight, Monday 18 February, on E4 at 10pm.