BBC drops Michelle de Swarte comedy

The BBC has dropped ­Michelle de Swarte’s semi-autobiographical  comedy Spent after one series.

Six episodes ran from July last year based on her experiences of returning to London after her successful New York modelling career faltered. 

A spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed: ‘There are no plans for a second series of Spent.

‘We’d like to thank all the team involved for bringing the show to our screens, and will continue to work with the brilliant Michelle de Swarte on other projects.’

In the series, De Swarte played Mia, who found herself homeless and bankrupt in London, taking humiliating jobs to keep her head above water. It received mixed reviews, ranging from two to four stars.

Spent co-starred Amanda Wilkin, Karl Collins, Juliet Cowan and Peep Show’s Matt King, with comic Jamali Maddix guesting in two episodes as Marc.

A fashion scout spotted De Swarte was spotted while working at Segaworld in London's Trocadero Centre, and she modelled for the  likes of Burberry, Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger and Cartier  in the States. But her career as a runway model stopped abruptly after she twice fell over on the Gucci runway and she moved back to London, where she turned to stand-up  and acting.

She is currently on tour with her stand-up show The Afters, about ‘what to do after the party’.

» Michelle de ​Swarte tour dates.

Published: 15 Oct 2025