Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton, Phoebe Dyvenor as Daphne Basset, Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton, Florence Emilia Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton, Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton.
A Bridgerton star has explained how he asked to be part of Heartstopper (Picture: Liam Daniel/ Netflix)

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has revealed he was desperate to be a part of Heartstopper.

Last month it was revealed the actor, 36, was joining the hit Netflix teen series for its upcoming third season.

Coming after much speculation from fans that he’d been cast, the streaming service released a short clip of Jonathan in character as Jack Maddox, ‘Charlie’s Instagram-famous crush’.

In the clip, he walks towards a desk before sitting down, looking at the camera and simply saying ‘hi’ before it cuts.

The actor has now spoken about his cameo, sharing he was so impressed when watching the show previously he wanted to take part himself.

‘Like so many people, I watched the first [season] and thought it was one of the biggest, most beautiful gifts to so many people, and I wish I had that growing up,’ he said.

Jonathan Bailey at the Mark Hotel, New York City. Met Gala 2024.
Jonathan Bailey will be making a cameo as Jack Maddox in the upcoming third season (Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)

‘I had a mutual friend who knows [executive producer Patrick Walters] and I just said, “If there’s anything I could do to help and be a part of that story”,’ he explained when being interview by Variety on the Met Gala red carpet this week.

Although he wasn’t able to give details about how many days he spent shooting for the show, Jonathan did praise the series, which is based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series of the same name.

‘It really has changed the way people can grow and communicate around who they are,’ he continued.

‘It’s not just for our community. It’s for every person who is a member of a family who has a member of the LGBT+ community. It helps all of us.’

Even before he had officially been announced as part of the cast, Heartstopper fans couldn’t contain their excitement at the possibility of Jonathan joining, flooding social media with supportive posts.

Speaking about the support, he added it ‘meant the world’.

Others joining this time around also include Hayley Atwell as Nick’s aunt Diane and Eddie Marsan as Charlie’s therapist.

Heartstopper cast
Heartstopper stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor as Charlie and Nick (Picture: Samuel Dore)

However, one fan favourite, Olivia Colman will be absent after playing Nick’s (Kit Connor) mum Sarah Nelson for the past two seasons.

‘I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,’ she told Forbes when explaining a scheduling conflict had meant she couldn’t appear again.

She later added: ‘I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.’

But Olivia did allow fans to hold on to some hope she may return at some point, saying she’d love to appear in a potential fourth season, or even in her own spin-off.

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Bridgerton season 3 part 1 is set to premiere on May 16, with part 2 to follow on June 13. Heartstopper season 3 returns to Netflix in October.

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