Key Points
Heartstopper stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke still haven’t seen Heated Rivalry.
“It feels very like we probably have very similar experiences,” Locke says.
The actors are just happy to “see another queer show explode.”
Heated Rivalry is probably the closest thing we have to filling the impending Heartstopper void, even though both are radically different in tone.
The cozy, queer coming-of-age romance, led by Kit Connor and Joe Locke, comes to a close this weekend with the finale movie on Netflix, titled Heartstopper Forever. Meanwhile, the Heated Rivalry craze treks on during the interim between seasons.
“I actually haven’t seen Heated Rivalry,” Connor tells Entertainment Weekly in an interview with Locke, who also admits, “I haven’t seen it either.”
Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) snap a selfie in ‘Heartstopper Forever’
Credit: Samuel Dore/Netflix
“I’ve been working and living like a bit of a monk for the last while,” Connor adds. The actor has a number of upcoming projects, including Elden Ring, the fantasy epic inspired by the popular video game that’s been shooting in the U.K.
“I’d love to meet them both,” Locke says of Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. “It feels very like we probably have very similar experiences of that instantaneous craze. And it’s great to see another queer show explode.”
Heartstopper came onto the scene with season 1 on Netflix in 2022. Locke plays Charlie, a gentle, shy kid at school dealing with anxiety, depression, and bullying, while Connor portrays Nick, a jock type coming to terms with his bisexuality.
The series, a warm hug of a show, chronicled their love story, which now culminates in Heartstopper Forever, out now on Netflix.
Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) on ‘Heated Rivalry’
Credit: Courtesy Bell Media
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Heated Rivalry could not be more different. The Canadian romance — about two rival hockey players who fall for each other and have wild sex behind closed doors — erupted onto the cultural scene at the end of 2025. Season 2 will start filming soon ahead of a projected spring 2027 premiere.
The show, a Crave Original in Canada, is released in the U.S. and other international territories through HBO Max.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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