Heartstopper season 3: cast, plot and everything we know

Charlie and Nick are back for Heartstopper season 3
Heartstopper season 3 will continue the story. (Image credit: Netflix)

Heartstopper season 3 will continue the beloved coming of age story, as we begin to explore more about Charlie's mental health struggles while the group are approaching adulthood.

Throughout Heartstopper season 2, we saw Nick coming to terms with his boyfriend's struggles, with the seasonal finale seeing him finally beginning to understand the extent of it. While they're growing closer, they still haven't properly confessed their love, with season 2 leaving us on quite the cliffhanger!

We saw Charlie writing out a message proclaiming his love for Nick, but the scene cut to black before he could send it, so we're not quite sure if he bit the bullet and told his boyfriend the truth about how deeply he loves him. 

In a statement, series creator and writer Alice Oseman told Netflix: "Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through Season 3. While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up. 

"Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood."

Here's everything we know about Heartstopper season 3 so far...

Heartstopper season 3 release date

Heartstopper Season 3 comes to Netflix this October, with a full release schedule to be confirmed in due course.

Heartstopper season 3 plot

Nick starring at a GCSE paper in Heartstopper season 2 episode 3

University is on everyone's mind in Heartstopper season 3... (Image credit: Samuel Dore/Netflix)

According to Netflix, the season 3 premiere is called Love and picks up with Charlie eager to tell Nick that he loves him, while Nick is holding something important inside.

The summer holiday comes to an end and months pass, with Charlie, Nick and the group realising that the school year ahead will come with plenty of challenges. The main one being their university choices and future prospects. While this is going on, they will learn more about each other, with plenty of social events and parties ahead.

We don't know much about each individual episode yet, but once we have more details, we'll let you know.

Heartstopper season 3 cast

Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood, Jenny Walser, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, and Olivia Colman are all expected to return for the third season.

As well as the core cast members, there are some exciting new additions this season. Hayley Atwell (Black Mirror) will play Nick’s aunt, Diane, who takes Nick on a summer holiday to Menorca and "has some tough advice to impart about his relationship".

Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) will portray Geoff, Charlie’s wise and straight-talking therapist, while Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) will cameo as Jack Maddox, an Instagram-famous classicist, and Charlie’s celebrity crush!

Speaking about the new casting, Alice said: "It was an absolute joy to see Hayley, Eddie, and Jonathan’s talent alongside our existing cast, and I can’t wait for the Heartstopper fans to meet these new characters."

Heartstopper will also welcome another graphic novel character in season 3, Michael Holden, played by Darragh Hand. In the novels, Michael is a love interest for Charlie’s older sister, Tori (Jenny Walser).

Is there a trailer?

Not yet, but as soon as one is released we will add it to this guide!

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress