Ten Pound Poms series 2: Recap of series 1's cliffhanger with Michelle Keegan's character Kate and her son
By Helen Fear | Wed Mar 05 2025Ten Pound Poms is back with series 2 and we'll finally get to find out what happened after series 1's tense cliffhanger ending...
At the end of the first series, Kate Thorne looked like she was about to do something VERY rash indeed. Although everyone watching couldn't blame her, we all knew it was the wrong thing to do...
As season 2 of Ten Pound Poms begins, here's our handy recap to series 1, along with the main questions we need answering ahead of the new episodes...
***Warning: spoilers from Ten Pound Poms series 1 ahead***
Ten Pound Poms series 1 ending explained
The first series of Ten Pound Poms landed on BBC One in May 2023. It followed a group of Brits escaping post-war Britain to embark on a life-changing adventure on the other side of the world.
Season 1 came to a rather dramatic conclusion in June 2023 when Michelle Keegan's character Kate appeared to drive off into the sunset with her son - abducting him from his adopted parents.
Viewers of series 1 will know that Kate travelled to Australia – ditching her boyfriend at the docks – in order to track down the son who was taken from her.
In heartfelt scenes during the final episode, Kate told her son who she really was, and showed him pictures of him as a baby in her arms. She insisted she hadn't abandoned him, and loved him very much. Although Kate got her feelings off her chest, Michael seemed a little overwhelmed and told her he just wanted to go home to his mum. Ouch.
Kate told him she would take him home "after we go for a little drive, yeah?" She looked like she was on the edge of a very big decision. Did she drive into the distance with her son, or return him safely to his adopted home?
What happened with Kate's son?
As we saw in the first series, Kate's son Michael was sent to Australia in the care system. He was subsequently adopted by an Australian family.
Kate followed her son to the other side of the world. According to Michelle Keegan - who is pregnant in real life with her first baby - Ten Pound Poms series 2 is "really about Kate trying to expose the fact that her and her son have been separated against her wishes".
She adds: "It happened to so many families and to so many women in the 1950s. It's absolutely heartbreaking. Kate is not just trying to help herself and Michael, but she wants to help others as well and put a stop to families being unnecessarily separated."
Why were Kate and son Michael separated?
In series 1, a flashback showed Kate back in London calling after Michael as he was ushered onboard a train. Stuck behind a locked gate, she was unable to get to him before he was taken away to Australia.
Later, a glimpse at Michael's file showed his full name as Michael James. His next of kin was marked as birth mother Kate Thorne. However, the card also stated: "Name to be changed as per society instructions."
The storyline is based on a real life practice at the time. There was a post-war migration policy which saw thousands of children forcibly sent to Australia (and other countries) from Britain. The programme was aimed at easing the strain on UK orphanages, while also boosting the population of former colonies.
Many of the children sent away were from poorer backgrounds, single parent families or in social or charitable care. Sometimes, the parents would not know where their children had been sent to, and the children were told that their parents had died.
Ten Pound Poms series 1 recap: What happened at the end?
As well as the emotional storyline between Kate and her son Micheal, we'd also like to know if Sheila survived her shocking suicide attempt… Viewers will know that she was deeply unhappy married to her vile husband Bill, while being in love with JJ.
Of course, series 2 will also show us how Annie and Terry's daughter Pattie is coping with being a new mum, alongside her hasty new fiancé Stevie...
Series 1 also saw Terry battle his personal demons, while his wife Annie demanding to be taken seriously despite prejudice.
Did Michelle Keegan's character Kate abduct her son Micheal?
Michelle Keegan's character Kate returns in Ten Pound Poms series 2, as does her son Michael, played by Alastair Bradman. But early press info seems to show that Kate did the right thing and returned her son to his adoptive parents. After all, there are no signs of a high-speed police chase or life on the run for Kate.
Instead, the BBC synopsis reads: "After a challenging first year in Australia, Ten Pound Poms series 2 follows nurse Kate Thorne and the Roberts family into 1957 on their adventure down under, each determined against all odds to achieve their slice of the Australian dream.
"As Kate, Annie and Terry settle into their new lives, they each struggle to reconcile their hopes for the life they were promised with the harsh realities they face at Galgownie."
Of course, we know that Kate is desperate to be reconciled with her son Michael. But, only time will tell if her dream comes true.
Talking about her character in series 2, Michelle explains: "We saw Kate go through so much in the first series, so the piece of advice I would give to her going into series two is 'don't be so reckless, your actions do have consequences and although you feel what you are doing is right as a mother, those actions also affect your son Michael as well as the people around him'. Kate needs to think more before she acts."
