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Jonathan Bailey confirmed to star in Heartstopper season three

Fans had already guessed but now we know for sure!

By Alastair James

Heartstopper x Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Bailey is thought to have joined the cast of Heartstopper season three (Image: Instagram/@jack__maddox)

Jonathan Bailey has been confirmed to be joining the cast of Heartstopper season three. The Bridgerton star will also be joined by Heartstopper newcomers Hayley Atwell and Eddie Marsan.

The news was confirmed by Netflix on Thursday (25 April) and follows speculation about Bailey’s casting earlier this year.

In March, fans excitedly shared images of the actor, 35, posing with a trans rights sign. Other images showed him with a book about Plato written by Jack Maddox. The images originated on a now private Instagram account with the same name.

Fans were fairly justified in their excitement. The similarly named Henry Maddox, a scholar that Charlie develops a crush on, exists in the Heartstopper mini-comic by Lauren James.

In a brief teaser, Bailey can be seen walking into a room decorated with signage for Jack Maddox. Resting against a book-laden table he looks at the camera and offers a friendly “Hi.”

“Jonathan Bailey will be making a cameo appearance…”

“I am incredibly excited to be welcoming three new cast members to the Heartstopper family,” Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman has said. They revealed that Hayley Atwell will join the Nelson family as Nick’s Aunt Diane. She will take Nick on a summer holiday to Menorca and has some tough advice to impart about his relationship.

Meanwhile, “Eddie Marsan will be portraying a beloved character from the graphic novel: Geoff, Charlie’s wise and straight-talking therapist. And lastly, Jonathan Bailey will be making a cameo appearance as Jack Maddox, an Instagram-famous classicist and celebrity crush of Charlie.”

Oseman added: “It was an absolute joy to see Hayley, Eddie, and Jonathan’s talent alongside our existing cast, and I can’t wait for the Heartstopper fans to meet these new characters.”

Heartstopper Cast Announcement Jonathan Bailey
Eddie Marsan, Hayley Atwell, and Jonathan Bailey are joining Heartstopper S3 (Image: Netflix)

Also in March, it was confirmed the third season of the popular series was confirmed for October. Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, and Kizzy Edgell are set to return. Tobie Donovan, Leila Khan, Rhea Norwood, and Jenny Walser will also reprise their respective roles.

A synopsis for the third season of Heartstopper reads: “Charlie would like to tell Nick that he loves him. Nick also has something important to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realise that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges.

“As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.”

Heartstopper seasons one and two are streaming now.