Heartstopper Season 3 is coming soon to Netflix, but Olivia Colman won’t be with it. Colman, who plays Sarah Nelson in the series, announced that she won’t be returning for Season 3 despite calling it “one of the most beautiful things” she’d ever been a part of. It seems like scheduling conflicts are to blame for Colman’s absence from the new season. Show creator Alice Oseman bears her no ill will, saying that if Heartstopper happens to get a Season 4 renewal, she hopes Olivia Colman will be able to make an appearance in it.
Olivia Colman Says She “Feels Bad” About Taking Sarah Nelson Out of “Heartstopper” Season 3
Based on Alice Oseman’s webcomic and graphic novel of the same name, Heartstopper first hit Netflix in 2022 as a series following Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a schoolboy who falls in love with his classmate Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) at Truham Grammar School. The series took off almost immediately, being highly rated by critics and gaining a lot of praise for its coverage of LGBTQ+ themes. These days, it’s one of Netflix’s best-performing shows, and in a rare move from the platform, Heartstopper was granted a two-season order not long after its debut. Season 2 dropped in August 2023, and the third season began filming not long after that. Heartstopper season 3 is scheduled for later this year, but Olivia Colman won’t be in it.
Olivia Colman, who has previously starred in Broadchurch and The Crown as Queen Elizabeth II, joined Heartstopper for its first season. In Seasons 1 and 2, she starred as Sarah Nelson, Nick and David’s (Jack Barton) mother, but she won’t be present in Season 3. Discussing the issue with Forbes today, Colman said she “couldn’t fit [Season 3] in”, leading us to believe that she’s likely encountered some scheduling conflicts. This would make sense, given that she’s currently involved in the pre-production for Paddington in Peru, Wicker, and Girl from the North Country, but she hasn’t confirmed anything yet.
“I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that…I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.”
Olivia Colman on Heartstopper
Thankfully, the rest of the crew doesn’t seem to be holding Olivia’s decision against her. Series creator Alice Oseman took to her Instagram story today to discuss how the show will move forward without Sarah Nelson, saying the following:
“Nick’s story from the comics is still there, still infinitely important to me, and Sarah’s role as emotional support for Nick will shift to other characters in the story for now. If we get a season four, I would love for Olivia to be a part of it again!”
@aliceoseman/Instagram
More news on Heartstopper Season 3 – including what the show will do in Olivia Colman’s absence – will likely be available as we get closer to its October release date. Seasons 1 and 2 of the show are available to stream on Netflix.
