Samuel Bottomley and Lara Ricote are stuck living together after a breakup in Break Clause

What happens when a relationship ends but neither person can actually leave? That is the premise of Break Clause, a new six-part Channel 4 romantic comedy starring Samuel Bottomley and Lara Ricote.

Bottomley, best known for How to Have Sex, plays Ben opposite Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping star Ricote as Lil. The pair have broken up, but with their tenancy still tying them to the same flat, they are forced to navigate dating, arguments and the awkward business of trying to move on while still living under one roof.

The series is created and written by Jess Bray, whose credits include The Outlaws, and directed by Starstruck filmmaker Alice Snedden.

There is also a sizeable supporting cast, including John Thomson, Lucy Black, Catherine Cohen, Charly Clive, Hammed Animashaun, Michael Workéyè, Jessica Knappett, Nathan Foad, Assa Kanouté, Jack Shep, Tamika Bennett, Jack James Ryan and Lucas Jones.

The newly released trailer gives a first look at the series’ central tension: Ben and Lil may have called time on their relationship, but their domestic life is still very much shared.

It is a simple set-up with plenty of room for romantic-comedy chaos, especially when moving on from your first love is complicated by the fact that they are still in the next room.

The editorial unit

Break Clause is released on Channel 4 on 1^st October 2026.

Watch the trailer for Break Clause here: