Audiences continue to swoon over Heartstopper, the new gay, teen series now streaming on Netflix. One key to the show’s success: the way it tugs–pardon the phrase–at the heartstrings of viewers, especially LGBTQ people who never could have come out as teenagers.
To review: based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel, Heartstopper follows the story of Charlie (Kit Connor), one of the few openly queer students at his British grammar school. He has a secret boyfriend who refuses to acknowledge him in public, and who generally makes life miserable for him. That changes with the arrival of Nick (Joe Locke), a handsome new student and rugby player with whom Charlie develops an immediate attraction. Nick encourages Charlie to join the rugby team, and sparks begin to fly.
Heartstopper has earned wide praise for the tenderness with which it treats its subject matter. That extends to British TV personality Phillip Schofield, who fought back tears while interviewing the stars of the show.
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Locke and Connor stopped by the British morning show This Morning to sit down with Schofield and his co-host Holly Willoughby on April 28. For Schofield, who publicly came out as gay at age 58 in 2020, seeing the acceptance with which friends and family greet Nick and Charlie proved more emotional than he expected.
“There were good friends. There were understanding families,” Schofield said, choking back his tears. “It’s the world that you want it to be, you want that friendship group, you want that acceptance, in every school and life. There’s no question that not everyone who has these internal views is going to get such a positive reaction.”
Schofield isn’t alone in his emotional praise. In the past week since Hearstopper has rolled out on Netflix, Twitter has exploded with emotional reactions from viewers who feel validated and moved by the show.
Have a look at some of our favorite reactions…
nick nelson coming out as a bisexual pic.twitter.com/jG1nBXefjZ
— hourly heartstopper (@hourlyhrtstppr) April 23, 2022
lgbtqs be like i’m fine and then they watch nick’s coming out scene to his mum for comfort
— em ? heartstopper spoilers (@sprjngnelson) April 24, 2022
kit made olivia colman cry because of his acting skills on the coming out scene…………
— nina? heartstopper spoilers (@charliesprjng) April 28, 2022
the urge to watch heartstopper with my mom and make her watch nick coming out to his mom as bi and be like “i’m that too”
— fem ? nick nelson protector (@looniemo0ny) April 28, 2022
3?? Nick coming out to his mother
Please tell me how you cannot cry watching them ?
I wish I could have watched that kind of scene when I was younger, it would have made things easier… HIS MOM #Heartstopper
(8/10) pic.twitter.com/bYLjIQOtLI— ??CHECK MY HEARTSTOPPER THREAD (@tangouzze) April 25, 2022
nick nelson just like me fr sitting in my room teary eyed watching other people's coming out videos
— tyler (@talesofthesmp) April 23, 2022
1?? The very last scene of the show
After a really nice flashback of all these beautiful moments, a great & wonderful sum up of their relationship. #HeartstopperSong : I belong in your arms – Chairlift
(10/10) pic.twitter.com/Wzu8jeSCnE— ??CHECK MY HEARTSTOPPER THREAD (@tangouzze) April 25, 2022
Cloud
You have the actors mixed up with each other. Nick is played by Joe Locked while Charlie is played by Kit Connor.
Cloud
I meant Nick is the character that is openly gay in the school not Charlie.
galileo
If you was trying to say that Queerty got the actors names and the characters portrayed wrong, then you’re right, Charlie is played by Joe Locke and Nick by Kit Connor! Unusually for a gay TV series, some cast members are actually family, Joe Lock is dating Sebastian Croft who plays Bash for example.
korn_syrup
I saw the add for this show last month, looked it up, found the webtoon, and got caught up in a day. Haven’t seen the show yet, but it looks as cute as the comic.
tommyboy5023
Kit Conner was the teen Reginald Dwight in Rocket Man. There is a great video where he sings Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting halfway until Taron Edgerton takes over.
Jaquelope
@Cloud:
Have you even watched it? Charlie is the openly gay character, not Nick.
I do hope there will be another season.
OberonOZ
As others have said, Nick Nelson, the rugby player who thought he was straight till he met Charlie, is played by Kit Connor. Charlie Spring, who was outed at school previously, is played by Joe Locke. Sebastian Croft (whose nickname is Bash) played Charlie’s closeted and self-loathing love interest Ben.
Ive never seen it confirmed that Joe and Bash are dating. However both are openly gay, and now having felt forced to come out, Kit Connor has confirmed that he is bisexual.
Im just waiting for Season 2! Roll on August 3!!
Mychel
You mean Charlie is played by Joe Locke and Nick is played by Kit Connor. And Nick doesn’t arrive, he’s been there, this is the first time he and Charlie interact.
graphicjack
And the actor that plays Elle is also trans… this show is absolutely amazing… got me all in the feels. I’ve been telling all my friends about it. I can’t stop raving about it and recommend it to anyone at any age.
Jaquelope
I was wondering if Elle’s portrayer actually was/is trans. Thank you for letting me know. I’ve seen every episode but the last one. I’ll probably be watching it tonight.
I’m wondering how many of the other cast members are LGBTQ+ members.
Polaro
It is a good show. Charlie is the only openly gay person at the school in the show. Nick declares he is bisexual. Both actors are currently 18, so that is also charming that they are not really 25+ playing 15. Gives it a bit of honesty to the good acting. Elle is a trans girl character. I know it is all the rage to call everyone queer, but the specifics are more important than being PC when you are tying to describe people and relationships.
Yes, another teenage coming out series. Nothing out of the ordinary happens. Still, worth every minute I spent watching it. It is a feel good series and I don’t think we have enough of them.
agarryking
It’s simple beauty, will give you chills.
buzboo2
You have the actors and characters backwards. Kit was Nick the rugby player and Joe is the out gay kid Charlie. I’ve watched it 3-4 times.
Ken A.
I watched an episode, not for me. Good for them though.
Jack
If you’ve seen recent news, Netflix lost subscribers for the first time last quarter and their stock plunged. Everyone please spend the $15 and don’t login share. Netflix can’t continue to make this content if we don’t all pay, what is really a nominal amount for most.
Jaquelope
What $15.00? My Netflix isn’t costing me that much.
CatholicXXX
This isn’t an expensive show.
It doesn’t require any real SFX or elaborate sets.
It’s probably cheaper to film this series than those trashy reality programs they release every week.
Joshooeerr
For once the hype is justified. It’s a sweet show. The characters seem real (unlike in the Disneyfied Love, Victor). The compulsory diversity is not forced and unbelievable. The actors really are teens. Some of the performances in minor roles are a little wobbly, but the two leads are adorable. If you’re not a hopeless cynic you’ll find it refreshing and uplifting.
dali
‘Heartstopper’ just made this TV host break down on the air
Did you just present the proper clip? I didn’t a TV host break down.
Polaro
Yeah, I missed that too.
kevkev
God alone knows what the reviewer was watching but it sure as hell wasn’t Philip Schofield ‘holding back tears’ This great show doesn’t need Queerty’s hyperbole. Great tv drama, lousy queerty review!
BoomerMyles
Many years ago Olivia Colman played the colorful mum of a gay teen in the British series Beautiful People.
BaltoSteve
The husband and I just finished this. We are both seriously hoping for a second season.
strap2900
Meh, been done a hundred times. Love Victor is much better and seems more real.
tallskin4
Even my cynical heart was moved by this 8 parter. It has a certain something that is very affecting, even though part of me says this is far too sweet and sickly, I can see what the writer and film team wanted to do, which is to produce something utterly UNCYNICAL and very innocent and sweet, and it works. I’ve now watched it twice and will watch it again i think.
The review in the New Statesman is worth reading, which is the review the lads in the vid on the This Morning clip are talking about
glennmcbride
I binged watch the show in one night. I kept saying to myself, “I love this series.” It was positive and seemed real. I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope for another season.
jasentylar
I have watched it twice now! Such a lovely show!! The confusion that Nick goes through was great acting.