Heartstopper stars Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell reflect on Darcy and Tara’s ‘unashamed’ lesbian romance as the cast cover Attitude Magazine

The cast of Heartstopper graced the cover of The September/October issue of Attitude Magazineafter the second season of the critically acclaimed show dropped on Netflix on Friday.

Leading the stars who posed for the edgy shoot were Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell, who told the publication that it’s “really important” to keep using the word “lesbian,” as it’s been banned and maligned in recent years.

The pair, who play girlfriends Tara and Darcy in the drama, added that the pair are “not embarrassed” about their romance, having kept it a secret throughout the first series.

Corinna and Kizzy posed for an artistic Attitude cover alongside stars Tobie Donovan (Isaac Henderson), Bradley Riches (James McEwan), Bel Priestley (Naomi), Ash Self (Felix), Fisayo Akinade (Nathan Ajayi) and Nima Taleghani (Youssef Farouk ).

Kizzy discussed Darcy’s description of herself as a lesbian, saying, “I think it’s really important to say that word — lesbian.” Because sometimes you hear celebrities say, ‘Oh, I don’t use that word. It’s ugly.”

“It’s completely out of step. How harmful. I like the word lesbian. I like that (Darcy and Tara are) open about it. And I like Darcy’s shamelessness. I think she makes me want to be less quiet about myself.’

Corinna added that she hopes Tara and Darcy’s romance will bring more attention to LGBTQ+ shows as so many have been cut in recent years.

She said, “I like that Darcy (Kizzy’s character) pulls Tara (Darcy’s character) out of her shell. ”You’re a lesbian; it is well. We’re all fine.”

Having that representation is important because (TV series) are being canceled, and I think it’s sad. And I don’t think people should be shut down or dimmed. It’s great to be able to showcase the relationship between Tara and Darcy.”

Elsewhere, Tobie admitted that he felt “pressure” to accurately portray Isaac’s discovery of his asexuality.

He said, “I really wanted to do well. But it was also a kind of responsibility and gratitude that I personally am not asexual, but I felt it was important that this story be told.

“And that I did as much research as possible to do it authentically. Because everyone should see themselves in the media. I think it’s very important and it’s a shame it took so long.

“I think we should all be better allies for everyone in the community. It was very important to me that I did the work and did justice to this community.’

Candid: Elsewhere, Tobie Donovan admitted he felt “pressure” to accurately portray Isaac’s discovery of his asexuality, posing with Bradley Riches (James McEwan)

Representation: Fisayo Akinade (Nathan Ajayi) and Nima Taleghani (Youssef Farouk) discussed the growing dynamic of their characters as teachers on the show

Rising stars: Bel Priestley and Ash Self, who joined the cast of Heartstopper for the second series, discussed how to make transgender people more visible on the show

Young love: The highly anticipated second series of Heartstopper finally arrived on Netflix on Thursday and fans were quick to praise the second series after going through its eight episodes

Fisayo, who plays teacher Mr Ajayi, said: ‘I don’t think being gay is particularly interesting. But desire is so fundamental that so many people find crushing it grotesque.

“What Heartstopper does really well is it just says, ‘Here are some teens who are relatively happy. There are some adults who are relatively happy. That’s nice to see, isn’t it?” The more representation we see, the better it will be for everyone.’

Bel has joined the show as Naomi, a transgender art student at the art school that Elle is applying to, and the actress recalled the heartwarming moment she met a fan after joining the show.

On sale: The September/October issue of Attitude will be published on Thursday 10 August

She said, “I met another trans girl and she was crying. That was very sweet. She said how much the show means to her and how much we all make a huge difference in people’s lives.

“Some of the stories I’ve read online and the DMs I’ve received have made me feel truly blessed.”

The highly anticipated second series of Heartstopper finally arrived on Netflix on Thursday, and fans were quick to praise the second series after going through its eight episodes.

The series sees Nick’s relationship with Charlie still stronger than ever, but they still have challenges to face as he has yet to come out to his older brother or father.

Tao and Elle continue to grow closer after admitting to friends that they have feelings for each other, with the pair making it clear to each other during their trip to Paris.

Tara also faces challenges with Darcy, who has kept her turbulent home life a secret, casting doubt on whether she will make it to prom.

The September/October issue of Attitude will appear on Thursday 10 August.