Kit Connor and Joe Locke on sex in Heartstopper Forever
Kit Connor and Joe Locke say Heartstopper Forever, Netflix's queer teen finale out July 17, 2026, includes more sex because Nick and Charlie have aged into late adolescence. In a Guardian interview, the stars argued that skipping intimacy would feel unrealistic for characters facing university and a long-distance relationship.
The pair spoke during week six of a seven-week shoot on the feature-length curtain call to Alice Oseman's pastel-hued, quietly revolutionary drama. Adapted from her graphic novels, the series has followed Nick (Connor) and Charlie (Locke) since 2022. Heartstopper Forever now tests whether their romance survives as Nick heads to university and Charlie builds independence at school.
Key Takeaways
- Connor and Locke told The Guardian that more sex reflects the characters' age, not a shift in the show's earnest queer values.
- Connor said the finale is not quite Euphoria-level debauchery but takes a step away from rose-tinted storytelling.
- Both actors serve as executive producers for the first time on the Wash Westmoreland-directed film.
- The cast celebrated the franchise's first and last red carpet at London's Cineworld Leicester Square on July 14, 2026.
- Heartstopper Forever streams worldwide on Netflix from July 17, 2026.
Why does Heartstopper Forever include more sex scenes?
Locke put it bluntly: "There's a lot more sex, it would be weird if we hadn't shown it." He added that earnest queer representation does not mean intimacy should stay off-screen. "It's still a big thing for anyone in the world."
Connor framed the choice as a line the production had to walk. "How far are we going to take this?" he asked. "But at the end of the day, it did feel like these two guys are really attracted to each other at the age where they probably would have been doing it."
Locke stressed the series is not passing judgment on casual sex. Nick and Charlie remain monogamous, but Locke said, "I don't think Heartstopper is ever trying to say anything bad about casual sex. It's just nice to see two boys in love."
Did the stars want an even grittier finale?
Connor went further, saying he would have pushed Nick and Charlie into messier territory. "If I'd had my way, I would have had Nick and Charlie cheating on each other and doing all those stupid things," he told The Guardian. "Because young people do that and don't necessarily need to be villainised for it."
He argued Heartstopper Forever "takes a step in that direction of not being so rose-tinted about being human." The film was written by Oseman and follows the long-distance strain that Hollywood Reporter preview coverage described as the couple's biggest relationship hurdle yet.
What did filming those scenes feel like on set?
Despite defending the storytelling choice, both actors said shooting intimacy remains awkward. Connor joked about "a silent room with lots of middle-aged men." Locke added: "A camera right next to your face while you're wearing a cock sock."
The honesty lands as Heartstopper closes a chapter that helped launch careers across its ensemble, from Yasmin Finney and William Gao to Corinna Brown and Sebastian Croft. For more offbeat culture coverage, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man section.
How did the London premiere mark the franchise's end?
On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Connor and Locke led the cast at the world premiere in Leicester Square. Netflix's dress code invited guests to come as "your best self — however that looks to you." A huge majority of the ensemble attended, and a post-screening Q&A featured the leads alongside Oseman.
Connor told the room it was moving to watch the finale together, crediting Oseman's writing across the comics and three seasons. Vogue reported cast members calling the night bittersweet — the first Heartstopper red carpet and the last. Three days later, audiences worldwide get the answer to whether Nick and Charlie are forever.