Earlier this week, it was announced that two bonus episodes of Normal People, the much-loved TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel, would return on Friday night (June 26) during Ireland’s Comic Relief.
One of these bonus episodes imagined what would happen to Marianne and Connell – played by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal – 40 years from now, but the other was kept under wraps until last night’s broadcast, with Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis telling RTÉ Radio 1: “I can’t even say (everything) about it because there’s a guest star in it.”
That guest star, it turns out, was none other than Fleabag’s Hot Priest, Andrew Scott.
The episode, which runs just over seven minutes, features Connell going to confession, only to be greeted by Scott’s character, and the two bond over their obvious girl troubles. Marianne then also joins them for an unexpected singalong (and yes, Connell’s infamous chain makes a notable appearance).
After the episode aired, Mescal shared some behind-the-scenes pics with Edgar-Jones and Scott via Instagram, also paying tribute to the Normal People director Lenny Abrahamson and cinematographer Suzie Lavelle.
Abrahamson is also slated to direct the TV adaptation of Rooney’s debut novel Conversations With Friends, as recently confirmed.
RTÉ’s Comic Relief, meanwhile, has raised more than €5 million (or over £4.5 million) since yesterday. Besides the Normal People and Fleabag stars, the charity broadcast featured Saoirse Ronan becoming an “honorary Derry Girl” with the show’s cast.
Watch part of Marianne and Connell’s confession scene below, and in full on RTÉ’s website.