Kim Kardashian’s first major turn as a leading actor was supposed to be a defining moment, but last year’s legal series All’s Fair drew such harsh reviews that it became a streaming phenomenon as viewers tuned in to see the controversy for themselves.

Kardashian, widely known for her work in media and business, tells the BBC that she had to embrace the reaction and return for another season.

“We genuinely thought we were making a legal series about serious subjects,” she says with a laugh.

Instead, many viewers found entertainment in its larger-than-life humour, extravagant wardrobe choices and sharp lines delivered by fellow cast members Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, helping the programme earn a reputation as a camp favourite.

“Now we’re completely leaning into comedy,” the 46-year-old says, adding: “When you work with writers who understand pop culture, they can recognise how people respond and shape the story around that.”

Created by Ryan Murphy, the producer behind American Horror Story and Glee, All’s Fair became Hulu’s biggest scripted-series launch in three years and was quickly picked up for another run.

The story follows a team of divorce attorneys played by Kardashian, Close, Paulson, Naomi Watts and Niecy Nash-Betts. While the ensemble attracted attention, critics were especially dismissive of Kardashian’s performance.

The Hollywood Reporter described her acting as “wooden”, while the Times suggested the programme could be among television’s worst dramas.

Still, Kardashian’s career has often been defined by persistence. She went from being overlooked by Met Gala organisers to becoming one of the event’s most closely watched attendees, and she turned early scepticism around her shapewear business into a company valued at $5bn (£3.7bn).

Kardashian says: “What else are you meant to do when people criticise you?

“Do you let it defeat you, or do you stay focused, improve, work harder and find another way forward?”

After more than two decades in public view, she says she has developed a strong awareness of her own mental wellbeing, helped by her ability to ignore people who want to discourage her.

“I take on difficult things because I truly want to grow and learn,” Kardashian says.

During the promotion of the first season, Kardashian was also waiting to discover whether she had passed examinations in her real-life path toward becoming a lawyer. She had spent six years studying through an apprenticeship route rather than following a conventional university degree.

Not long after the show premiered, she learned that she had not passed the exam. However, she says the setback has not changed her goal.

“If I don’t succeed at something immediately, or if I’m not the best at it, I’ll eventually get there,” she says. “I don’t panic. I just keep moving forward.”

After acknowledging that she had used AI for legal guidance, Kardashian says she plans to be less open about the progress of her studies.

“I’m going to keep my journey a bit more private until I reach the finish line,” says Kardashian, who has four children with rapper Kanye West and is now dating British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

“I know people have been saying, ‘She gave up,’ and that makes me laugh.

“People can believe whatever they want. I’ll sit the exam again, and once I pass, I’ll let everyone know. I’ll be very open about it then,” she says.

So far, viewers have seen only limited hints about what the second season of All’s Fair will bring.

Watts, who is also a producer on the series alongside Kardashian, says the creative team has intensified the elements audiences responded to most: “high fashion, high drama and an elevated version of reality.”

When it comes to Kardashian’s performance, Watts says she is progressing and “really stepping up in the second season”.

“She was improvising, playing with scenes and trying all sorts of things that I found genuinely impressive,” Watts says. Kardashian responds jokingly: “I think I’m naturally very funny.”

One point that some critics did praise was the show’s portrayal of women who are ambitious and highly capable while also enjoying femininity and glamour. Kardashian says she values that perspective because it reflects many women she knows.

“Being intelligent doesn’t mean you can’t also care about style, fashion and glamorous things,” she says.