has only been on Netflix for a few short days but it’s taking the UK by storm.
The sweet LGBTQ+ coming-of-age tale has beenand the public alike, with for capturing the LGBTQ+ experience so authentically.
It tells the story of Nick and Charlie, two secondary school boys who spark an unlikely friendship and even more unlikely romance – with .
One of the reasons the show is proving so popular is the sheer wholesomeness of it all; just a group of friends hanging out and falling in love.
And it’s clear the cast are all friends outside of the show, as their many, many photographs prove.
Joe Locke, who plays main character Charlie, and Sebastian Croft, who plays Ben – a bit of an antagonist – are close friends off-screen.
The pair recently visited New York City together and were seen posing on the street with famous buildings in the background, pulling faces and generally messing around.
Joe took to Instagram to share the photos with fans where he captioned them: ‘Strangely didn’t see any apples in the big apple?? ‘
The gang have also hung out together closer to home, with Joe often sharing cute photos of the actors exploring London or on the set of the show.
One photo sees Joe, Sebastian and Yasmin Finney, who plays Elle, beaming into the camera as a photograph is taken through an obstruction.
The capital city can be seen in the background as the group explore the path by the river Thames.
Reflection and obstruction photos are clearly a thing with Joe, as another photograph posted by the actor to Instagram sees Joe, Kit Connor who plays Nick, and William Gao who plays Tao Xu, posing in the reflection of a kitchen window.
The boys are outside in a sunny garden, Kit in sunglasses to protect his eyes, as they aim the camera at the window where a sink, toaster and kettle can be seen.
One particularly adorable snap sees the Heartstopper cast hanging out in a tree (how wholesome) during warm weather.
The snap, which looks like it was taken in a park, sees the cast swinging their legs, wearing matching broad smiles and with their arms around each other.
William, Joe, Yasmini and supporting actor Kizzy Edgell who plays Darcy, all feature in the photo.
Joe uploaded all three photos together to Instagram, where he captioned them: ‘The truth is we don’t even like each other… Jokes, I love them lots.’
The cast have also shared photos from the actual set of Heartstopper, including some sweet snaps taken on a gloriously sunny day when Joe, Kit and other cast pose maniacally as they lift a fellow crew member off the ground.
Kit can be seen sticking out his tongue and giving a thumbs up to the camera, while Joe looks like he’s in the middle of a peal of laughter.
One of the sweetest photos from the new show sees the whole friend group (and the odd enemy) posing together shortly after filming commenced.
Joe, Kit, Yasmin, William, Kizzy and Sebastian beam at the camera, with Joe giving a cheeky peace sign.
Also part of the sweet ensemble is Corinna Brown who plays Tara, Tobie Donovan who plays Isaac, and Rhea Norwood who plays Imogen.
When out of Heartstopper’s school uniforms, the cast prove they scrub up exceptionally well, with Kit and William posing in suits and bowties at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
In one photo the boys pose in a taxi, Kit with a face mask in his hand as he appears to have been caught off guard by the snap.
Another sees the pair posing before a pond in the garden, William wearing a wry smile.
And as well as being classy, it seems the cast have had some truly wild nights too – going by Kit’s snap of them looking like they’re ready to hit a nightclub.
Yasmin, Joe, William, Kit and Sebastian all feature in the photo, posing in some striking outfits, Yasmin bearing her midriff in a cut-out top and shorts.
Joe wore a sheer black top creatively featuring a face with red eyes, a nose and a purple mouth, while the three boys opted for more traditional suits.
(Though Kit’s incredible leopard-print shirt deserves an honourable mention.)
It’s not just the fans who go wild for the cast’s sweet friendship both on and off screen – streaming site Netflix clearly think they’re absolutely adorable, too.
The official Netflix UK Instagram page shared a fantastic photo of the main six characters sharing giant ice cream sundaes in pairs: Darcy and Tara, Charlie and Nick, and Tao and Elle.
Why was this photo so great? Well, it’s taking off the iconic Friends photo, of course.
Heartstopper has been awelcomed with open arms by LGBTQ+ community members both young and old, with Metro.co.uk predicting it was about to ‘transform the lives of all LGBTQ+ people forever’.
The phenomenal series is based on author Alice Oseman’s series of webcomics, which have been ongoing since 2016 and which already has legions of fans in its own right.
Is it too early to start calling for a series two?
Heartstopper is now streaming on Netflix.
