The fearless, frank and provocative drama series explores the question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in our modern landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation.

What happens in I May Destroy You?

Following triumph from a piece of writing that garnered internet acclaim, Arabella Essiuedu (Coel) – easily distracted, non-committal and carefree – finds herself feted as the ‘voice of her generation,’ with an agent, a book commission and a helluva lot of pressure.

But after being sexually assaulted in a nightclub, her life changes irreversibly and Arabella is forced to reassess everything: her career, her friends, even her family. As she struggles to come to terms with what has happened, she begins a journey of self-discovery.

The plot is inspired by Coel’s own real experience of sexual assault. In 2018, she called for the media industry to do more to protect young writers, after sharing the story of how she faced pressure to deliver scripts after being sexually assaulted by strangers.

Watch the trailer for I May Destroy You

I May Destroy You: everybody is talking about Michaela Coel’s new series