Olivia Colman Exits Netflix's 'Heartstopper' Ahead of Season 3

Beloved Netflix series Heartstopper may be coming back for a Season 3, but Olivia Colman will not. The actress portrayed Sarah Nelson in the first two seasons of teen rom-com based on Alice Oseman's webcomic and graphic novel of the same name. While she is the mother of main character Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and older brother David (Jack Barton), she will not be returning for the upcoming season.

"I couldn't do number three," Colman told Forbes. "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." Considering Colman's busy schedule, which previously included Wonka, the final season of The Crown, and Wicked Little Letters, with four more projects in the works, it's not so surprising she had to step away from this one.

All may not be lost, however. When a spinoff or returning for a possible fourth season could be possible, Colman responded, "Okay! I'll have a word. As long as it's booked in advance, maybe I'll be able to do it, yeah!" Assuming Heartstopper gets the greenlight for Season 4 and Colman isn't as busy by then, there's a real possibility that Sarah Nelson could be returning. At the very least, it sounds like she is genuinely upset she wasn't able to join for the third season and would be more than happy to return in the future.

Created by Oseman, Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), who falls in love with his classmate Nick. The series stars an ensemble cast that also includes William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Jenny Walser, and Sebastian Croft. Netflix renewed Heartstopper for two additional seasons in May 2022, with the third season expected to premiere this October on Netflix.

There is still much to look forward to with Season 3 of Heartstopper, including the fact that Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey might be stopping by. As of now, the series does not have a set premiere date for the third season, but it is going to premiere sometime this October. Even though that seems far away, especially since by then it would have been over a year since Season 2, the wait will surely be worth it if fans will be seeing Nick and Charlie on their screens once more.