A clip of Heartstopper stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor discussing a particularly memorable scene from their new show, Heartstopper Forever, has gone viral on social media.
At the London premiere of the Netflix series, Locke joked about watching a kissing scene with his mother, saying: "My mum is here watching me get a blowjob on screen." The audience erupted into laughter and applause, with many fans commiserating over the actor's "second-hand embarrassment" online.
Despite the awkward moment, Locke and Connor have been open about the show's progression in exploring more mature themes, including sex. In an interview, Connor explained that the decision to include more sex scenes was driven by the characters' age and progression in their relationship.
"It's a line that you have to walk: How far are we going to take this?" Connor said. Locke added that the inclusion of more sex scenes reflects the characters' age and natural progression in their relationship, rather than a marked tonal shift in the show.
Locke emphasized that the show's approach to sex is not just about titillation, but also about authenticity and representation. "There's a lot more sex, it would be weird if we hadn't shown it. Just because our show is a more earnest version of a queer representation doesn't mean that sex [shouldn't be shown]. It's still a big thing for anyone in the world," he explained.
Heartstopper Forever will be available to stream on Netflix this Friday, July 17.
