For all critics and fans have been absolutely loving Heartstopper’s third season – there’s no denying that there’s something (or, rather, someone) we’re all missing this time around.
Yes, we are, of course, talking about Olivia Colman, who is noticeably absent from season three of the award-winning Netflix teen drama.
The Oscar winner’s presence in Hearstopper’s first batch of episodes came to a surprise to many viewers, and she famously wound up stealing the show thanks to her lovely scene with Kit Connor, in which his character comes out to his mum as being bisexual.
Although Olivia ended up taking on an even bigger role in the second season, she’s missing completely from the third, and apparently it was all a matter of timing.
She told Forbes back in March: “I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that.”
Olivia added: “I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.”
Executive producer Patrick Walters then wrote on X: “We really tried, but it wasn’t meant to be this season. What initially turned out to be disappointing news ended up leaving space for something different, but equally special.”
That “something different” turned out to be the arrival of Hayley Atwell as Nick’s aunt, serving a similar role in his life to his mum during a family holiday in season three.
Kit told HuffPost UK over the summer: “[She’s] Olivia Colman, you want her to be a part of everything you do, when I’m making my breakfast in the morning I wish that she was there. She’s a great loss whenever she’s not there.”
“To have Hayley Atwell this season was also a real, real joy and pleasure,” he added, praising the Mission: Impossible star for doing “a wonderful job” and “filling those shoes”.
On the subject of a return to the Heartstopper universe – either in a fourth season or her own spin-off – Olivia told Forbes: “Okay! I’ll have a word. As long as it’s booked in advance, maybe I’ll be able to do it, yeah!”
All three season of Heartstopper are available to stream now on Netflix.