Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge reveals "everyone" in the UK turned the show down

Killing Eve is one of the biggest shows on television at the moment, so it's hard to believe that "everyone" in the UK turned it down initially.

Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has opened up about making the critically-acclaimed thriller, admitting that she struggled to get a British network when pitching it.

"Killing Eve was turned down by everyone really in this country," she said on a podcast (via MailOnline). "I thought it was a goner. The production company sent it to BBC America just came back and said: 'Great, we love it.'

"Sometimes you think something is gone – one of the things I thought I would never return to becomes the biggest thing in your life."

Well, we're just glad BBC America saw sense.

While Waller-Bridge is behind Killing Eve, we're yet to actually see her on screen in the series – though that could all be about to change.

Related: Here's why Killing Eve might never air in the UK at the same time as the US

Revealing that she wanted to write herself into season 3 to be killed off by Jodie Comer's Villanelle, the writer said recently: "I was like, I am going to write myself a part so that I can be murdered by Jodie."

She also admitted that she originally envisioned herself in one of the lead roles, though decided in the end that there should be a bigger age gap between Villanelle and Eve (Sandra Oh).

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"I just had a really strong instinct that there should be this age gap because I just felt like it was something I hadn't seen," Waller-Bridge added. "I'm not a 25-year-old Jodie Comer – I mean, let's be frank.

"And I don’t know if I could have scaled a wall quite like she could have done, and I'm not in my early 40s either."

Killing Eve airs on BBC America in the US and on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

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Sam Warner

Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.