Suranne Jones has issued a long statement following the news Gentleman Jack will not be renewed.
The period drama - which stars Suranne as 19th-century landowner Anne Lister, often regarded as the "first modern lesbian" - is a co-production between the broadcasters. Created by Sally Wainwright, the series is based on Lister's diaries, which were part-written in a cryptic code, and has won plaudits in the UK.
However, in a statement to Deadline, HBO said it "will not be moving forward with a third season of Gentleman Jack". They said: "When we began this journey more than five years ago, we knew the series' creator Sally Wainwright had a uniquely compelling vision, and it's been tremendously gratifying to see how Anne Lister's journey has resonated with viewers.
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"We are incredibly grateful to Sally, to the impeccable Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle, and to the entire cast and crew for bringing Anne and Ann's story to life. We'd also like to thank our partners at BBC and Lookout Point for their collaboration on two remarkable seasons."
Addressing the news, Suranne issued a statement on Instagram. She said: "I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on our beautiful journey making this show. While it is sad news Gentleman Jack will not be renewed, this show has brought so many together enabled people to share their stories, brought joy, emotion and creativity and gave me a real connection to you as its audience.
"Anne Lister now has a statue in the Piece Hall. There is a Blue plaque in Holy Trinity church yard celebrating Anne and Ann’s union in 1834. There is a college named after Anne Lister on the east campus at the University of York.
"Shibden now has more visitors than ever before and you will find Anne Lister walks, tours and trails galore when visiting Halifax and its surrounding areas.
"I have never been involved in a show that has made such a huge impact and touched my heart like this one has. It wasn’t always the easiest job I’ve had… but it was always worth it to see the response it got. THANK YOU for all your support. Thank you to Sally Wainwright for bringing us this amazing story and passion.
"Thank you to @lindaviemakeup and @tompye33 for the stunning work over both seasons and to our design team who blew me away on set everyday. To our cast and crew who are just so talented and beautiful and finally I love you @sophiesophierundle you are a true friend and a total star."
The BBC suggested it was exploring further options with Ms Wainwright. A spokeswoman said: "We are tremendously proud of Gentleman Jack, a show which has made a huge cultural impact, and we are in discussions with Sally about what's next."
The first series of the period drama was a hit for BBC One and iPlayer, averaging 6.8 million viewers across its eight-episode run, according to the broadcaster. It went on to win the Royal Television Society best drama series award in 2020 and also received Bafta nominations for best drama, as well as a leading actress nod for Jones' performance.
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