Emily in Paris season 2: when could the Netflix show starring Lily Collins return - and will Gabriel, Camille and other characters be back?

It was the Netflix show we didn’t know we needed, full of sass, glam and seriously good-looking French people.

Emily in Paris took the streaming platform by storm when it was released in October 2020, moving into Netflix’s top 10 most popular shows in the UK.

While the series, which stars Lily Collins as Emily, received some backlash due to its usage of French stereotypes, it was generally well-received for being fun, lighthearted and totally binge-watchable.

Only a few days after it was first released were fans calling for a second season as the last episode of season one left many things unanswered.

Will Emily and French chef Gabriel finally get together? What will happen to her friendship with Camille? And will Emily’s boss Sylvie ever like her?

And how do you actually pronounce the name of the Netflix show?

Now, the cast have confirmed season two is indeed in the works - here’s everything you need to know.

When will Emily in Paris season two be released on Netflix?

In a social media video, cast members including Lily Collins (Emily), Lucas Bravo (Gabriel) and Ashley Park (Mindy) confirmed, to fans’ delight, that Emily in Paris will be back for a second season.

Netflix posted the video to its accounts, writing: “Béret exciting news. Emily in Paris will return for season 2. Oui oui!”

The cast members appear to film themselves celebrating and simply say “deux”, French for “two”, into the camera before the clip ends with the phrase: “Deux is always better than un. Emily In Paris will return for season 2!”

We don’t have any inkling of a release date yet, but Netflix often releases sequels a year after a show premieres. This means Emily in Paris could return to our screens in October 2021.

However, Covid-19 restrictions in Paris, where filming will take place, might mean fans have to wait slightly longer for the release.

Which cast members will return?

If the video announcement is anything to go by - most of the Emily in Paris cast members will return for season two.

This means Emily’s best pal, Mindy, mysterious perfume boss Antoine, Emily’s love interest Gabriel and Gabriel’s girlfriend Camille, her co-workers Luc and Julien, her mean boss Sylvie, and, of course, Emily herself, will all make a comeback.

What happened in season one?

Written by the creator of Sex in the City, Darren Star, viewers knew to expect glam, fashion and dating - and the show did not disappoint.

Marketing and social media pro Emily lands a job in Paris, where she moves from Chicago.

Her unapologetic Americanness and obsession with social media immediately puts her in the bad books of her intimidating and, quite frankly, mean boss, Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu).

Sylvie sets out to make Emily’s working life hell, but the always-fashionable Emily gradually wins her and her colleagues over by becoming the company’s resident influencer and pulling off some unrivalled marketing stunts for their clients.

Of course, there has to be a love interest - along the way, Emily starts to like her attractive neighbour, Gabriel, who unfortunately has a girlfriend in the form of lovely Camille.

Emily finds herself wrapped up in a sort of menage et trois, dating other French bachelors along the way, before the show ends with Camille and Gabriel breaking up and a window being left open for Emily.

Fans were left with a lot of loose ends and a burning desire to know what happens between the pair - so the announcement of season two came as welcome news.

Why was there backlash?

French critics had a lot to say about the series, with some saying the portrayal of Paris and its people was “rude” and “stereotypical”.

Some felt the French men Emily dates throughout the series were shown to be slimy, snobby and sexist while the other characters were shown to be either mean or lazy.

Others felt there were too many French stereotypes thrown in, from the berets Emily sports and the croissants she eats, to the rude waiters she encounters and the many lovers and mistresses intertwined throughout the show.

Lily Collins, who plays Emily, responded to the backlash in an interview with Vogue, saying: “As disheartening as it sometimes is to read these things, it’s also a gift; you’re being allowed to improve.”

While Lucas, who stars as Gabriel, said to People: “I understand all the critics – I am French, I know what they feel, how they feel and why they would feel that, but it’s a positive feeling.”

He even said he agreed with one of the cliches shown in the programme - that French people smoke before going to the gym.

Creator Darren Star also defended his work, explaining to The Hollywood Reporter: “The show is a love letter to Paris through the eyes of this American girl who has never been there.

“The first thing she is seeing is the clichés because it’s from her point of view.”

How do you pronounce Emily in Paris?

Netflix shocked fans of the show by sending out a tweet explaining how to pronounce Emily in Paris.

It read: “Friendly reminder Emily in Paris is supposed to be pronounced with a French accent so “Emily” and “Paris” rhyme.”

That means it’s pronounced “Emily in Par-ee”.

Twitter users were quick to point out their surprise, with one writing: “I’m sorry… what???”

Others pointed out that the whole title of the show should be in French for consistency, which would make it “Emily a Paris”.

Whatever the name, there’s no doubt we’ll be watching the second series.