Another fan favorite has left the Netflix series Sex Education after three seasons. Recently, it was revealed that Patricia Allison would not be returning for season 4 to reprise her role as Ola. Now, Allison's co-star Tanya Reynolds, who played Ola's love interest Lily, has also revealed that she won't be coming back for the show's third season. The decision is said to have been made months ago as part of a creative "reset" for the series.
“I'm not [returning], actually, which is sad, very sad. It’s just the natural progression of these shows — when you have such big ensemble casts and so many characters, I think you have to let a few older characters go to make way for newer ones, which is absolutely the right thing, the way it should happen,” Reynolds said, confirming her exit from the series to Radio Times.
She added, "I loved every minute of it and I loved Lily with my whole entire heart. Three seasons was just a really perfect amount for me."
Season 4 will start production this summer, but it remains unclear which stars from the first three seasons will be back for season 4. It is expected that the new season will bring back several of the main stars to feature a mix of new and returning cast members, but exactly who is coming back has yet to be confirmed. Ncuti Gatwa is another actor whose exit could be imminent following the actor's recent casting as the next Doctor in Doctor Who.
Sex Education is created by Laurie Nunn and follows the students, staff, and parents of Moordale Secondary School. Its ensemble cast features Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Alistair Petrie, Mimi Keene, and Aimee Lou Wood, among others.
Sex Education Has Been a Hit for Netflix
Sex Education originally premiered in 2019. Season 2 followed in 2020 with season 3 landing in September 2021. The fourth season of the show was announced just days after the season 3 premiere. This follows consistent high viewership and critical acclaim for its first three seasons.
Back in September, Asa Butterfield said he didn't know if he would be coming back for season 4 just yet. However, he did explain in a Cosmopolitan interview what he was hoping to see more exploration of the relationship between Maeve and Otis. It's clear the actor has been hoping to come back though it's not officially confirmed at this point that he will be back.
“We don’t know [whether there will be more]," Butterfield said. "It’s out of our hands at this point. I wish I could tell you more; I genuinely don’t know. I would like to see them...look at the bigger picture. To explore themselves and to be more focused either on their relationship with themselves or their platonic relationships with their friends and family.”
You can find Sex Education streaming on Netflix. Season 4 does not yet have a premiere date.