Why ‘Heartstopper’ season 3 is missing that key character

Heartstopper season 3 is almost here. The charming, colorful queer romance has tens of thousands of fans eagerly awaiting its return on October 3, but there’s one tiny thing they might be a little disappointed by—no Olivia Colman this season.

Colman plays Sarah Nelson, the supportive mother of Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), one of the main protagonists. Critics have called her one of the best parts of the show, and she extrudes warmth and love in every scene she’s in. The scene where Nick comes out to her is a particular highlight and she absolutely kills it. But there won’t be another moment like that in season three, because Colman couldn’t return. There was, unfortunately, a scheduling conflict.

“I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,” Colman told Forbes back in March. “I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising that she was unavailable, though. She is a VERY busy woman. This year alone she’s done The Bear and the highly anticipated Paddington in Peru, and she has two movies currently filming for release in 2025 as well. So what’s Heartstopper gonna do without her?

Well, fans will know from the Alice Oseman comics that there’s a pivotal moment between Sarah and Nick still to come, but with no Sarah, another character has stepped in. This is Nick’s aunt, Diane, and she’ll be played by Hayley Atwell! It’ll be her who helps Nick navigate the problem that his boyfriend Charlie (Joe Locke) is going through. So hopefully both Atwell will stick around and Colman will be back soon, and we can have them both for season 4.