"I feel awful": Olivia Colman's character in Heartstopper explored as actress reveals she won't be returning for Season 3

Olivia Colman recently made a big revelation by stating that she would not be returning for Season 3 of Netflix’s Heartstopper. The show is an adaptation of Alice Osmeman’s book, Heartstopper, which follows the story of Nick and Charlie.

In the show, Olivia Colman plays the role of Nick’s mother, Sarah. The Oscar-winning actress is loved for her seamless dialogue delivery, expressions and acting skills. While talking to Forbes, Colman revealed that she would not be a part of the new season due to a scheduling conflict. She claimed:

“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.”

On the other hand, when she was asked about her return to Season 4 of the series, or the spin-off, she did not completely deny it, saying:

“I’ll have a word. As long as it’s booked in advance, maybe I’ll be able to do it, yeah!”

Not just Olivia Colman, Patrick Walters, the executive producer of Heartstopper, too confirmed the news of Olivia’s exit from the show, as he wrote on X:

Executive producer of 'Heartstopper', Patrick Walters, confirms Colman's absence from season 3 (Screengrab from X/ @PatrickWalters)

Olivia and Patrick made the announcement just a few days after Netflix announced that Season 3 of the iconic show will premiere in October 2024. Fans appeared to pretty upset about Colman's absence from the season.

---

Audience loved when Nick came out to Olivia Colman's Sarah in Heartstopper

Heartstopper, a tale about Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, shows two schoolboys falling in love, and then coming out about the same to their friends, parents and family. It also shows the lives of their other friends as well: Tao Xu, Elle Argent, Isaac Henderson, Tara Jones and Darcy Olsson.

The show features Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson, a warm and understanding mother, who has a loving relationship with her son, Charlie. The part in the Season 1 finale episode where Nick comes out to Sarah about his feelings for Charlie has a separate fanbase and is loved by masses.

Sarah's relationship with her other son David is often shown as strained as she does not seem to agree with a lot of his actions. However, Charlie and Olivia seem to share a close bond as the two are often seen discussing a lot of the former's problems. Charlie often approaches his mother for advice.

The show has received a great response from the audience, and been the recipient of multiple awards. When the makers made the announcement of the show’s new season set to air in October, they also shared a behind-the-scenes look, which gave a glimpse of all the characters of the show.

Heartstopper season 3 will arrive on Netflix in October 2024.