Netflix’s adaptation of the beloved, queer YA comic Heartstopper was one of the queer TV shows we were most excited for in 2022 – and it did not disappoint. The series’ source material started its life where all great teen stories do: Tumblr. Artist and writer Alice Oseman, whose first novel Solitaire famously earned her a major book deal at 17, had been uploading the comic book onto the platform since 2017, and its plot-line was catnip for teen queers and allies everywhere.
Heartstopper is set in a British grammar school. Charlie, its protagonist, is an uptight, openly gay teenager; Nick is a happy-go-lucky rugby lad with a nicer streak than his mates. One day, they’re made to sit together, and that encounter soon blossoms into a friendship, which then transforms into something more as Charlie’s feelings for his new classmate develop. But the feelings he thinks might be unrequited may, deep down, be mutual. A wholesome romance begins between the two teens as they figure out themselves and their feelings for each other.
Heartstopper boasts a young cast of newbie actors, with the heart-warming central couple played by Joe Locke as Charlie, and Kit Connor as Nick. Charlie’s friend group includes Isaac (Tobie Donovan) as well as Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney), an inseparable pair who feature in a new, never-before-seen clip from Netflix.
The deleted scene sees the friend group settled in for the night at a sleepover. Tao and Elle are the last ones awake and, following in the great teenage tradition of the DMC (or deep meaningful conversation), talking through their fears for the future. Elle has just transferred to a nearby all-girls school, and Tao misses his bestie! Aw. But could there be something more than friendship on the horizon? Click play on the clip above to watch sparks fly between the fan-favourite duo.
Follow i-D on Instagram and TikTok for more on TV and LGBTQ+ culture.