Heartstopper’s Nick and Charlie have captured the world’s hearts. (Netflix)
Heartstopper star Joe Locke was stunned, to say the least, when he saw that a clip from the Netflix hit appeared on Gogglebox.
Gogglebox, a show quite literally about people watching TV, captured what everyone has felt since the coming-of-age show first dropped on the streaming platform – a lot of smiling, sobbing and screaming.
On Friday night’s (13 May) episode of the Channel 4 show, the cast watched with bleary eyes as Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) shared his first kiss with Charlie Spring (Locke).
The beginning of the Gogglebox episode saw the cast watch the third episode of Heartstopper‘s first season, where Nick and Charlie stumble onto one another at classmate Harry’s 16th birthday at the St George’s Hotel.
GOGGLEBOX REACTING TO NICK AND CHARLIES FIRST KISS pic.twitter.com/xHl00bcxkq
— charlie 🍂 (@hrtstoppermalec) May 13, 2022
Charlie manages to pluck up enough courage to ask Nick if he has a crush on anyone at school as their hands and feet lightly touch – and tiny cartoon lightning bolts fly. And to the tune of Gogglebox stars awning, the pair had their first kiss together.
Stephen Webb turned to his husband Daniel Lustig-Webb and asked: “Do you remember how amazing that felt, the first time you kissed another boy?”
“I do,” Daniel replied, showing just how meaningful any crumb of well-written, authentic representation can be for LGBTQ+ people, as a treat.
“You can’t fight love,” said Pete Sandiford. “You’ve just got to go with the flow.”
Locke, who plays 14-year-old Charlie, couldn’t help but show his excitement that Heartstopper, which has soared to become one of Netflix’s most-watched English Language shows of all times, had just appeared on Gogglebox.
“MY FACE ON GOGGLEBOX WTF,” the 18-year-old actor tweeted.
“And about time, too,” joked the Netflix UK and Ireland Twitter account.
and about time too
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) May 13, 2022
Even Alice Oseman, who penned the original black-and-white Heartstopper webcomic in 2016, was among those tuning in to watch Gogglebox. “THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY,” she said.
WE ARE WATCHING HEARTSTOPPER ON GOGGLEBOX RN https://t.co/oF9AzPGbIQ
— Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) May 13, 2022
THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY 🥺 https://t.co/8S5pXlwdgd
— Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) May 13, 2022
And fans agreed. Many praised the show for doing something so simple yet impactful – reflecting LGBTQ+ people back at themselves in an authentic way.
no because every single couple on here including the older generation were SO SUPPORTIVE i could cry😭 https://t.co/vLWcoNZYQk
— meg//7 (@deckersarizona) May 14, 2022
no bc i really want to cry, if it was i gogglebox poland they would be such a homophobic. poland sucks. https://t.co/v6mfsluXqJ
— M♡ 🍂 (@sp00ky_hell) May 14, 2022
The power that this has cannot go unnoticed. So many queer kids have never seen positive reactions to queer intimacy, so seeing normal people react like this truly gives some us immense hope that we will be able to find love and others will celebrate that love 💕 https://t.co/9alCKMgtI2
— SARAH NELSON FAN CLUB 🍂 | #RENEWHEARTSTOPPER (@Nic_and_Char) May 14, 2022
I’m binge watching this with my sister and it’s honestly so joyful and wholesome and makes me want to bin all my pretentious miserable millennial books and read about HAPPY THINGS https://t.co/akbrooQnNd
— Jess Readett (@jessicareadett) May 14, 2022