​Eric From Sex Education Is Inspiring Us All To Wash Our Hands In New Meme

While Otis remains our central protagonist of Sex Education, throughout the course of the show's two series, other characters have gradually stepped forward into the limelight - not least Eric, whose cutting one-liners have become as integral to the programme as Jean's fabulous jumpsuits.

Recently, it would appear one of his lines has become something of a catchphrase, even going on to inspire a whole new social movement... for bathroom hygiene.

In the first episode of the second season, Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and Otis (Asa Butterfield) are having a bit of a heart-to-heart about, ahem, masturbating in the boys' bogs.

Their conversation is interrupted when another student appears from a toilet stall, looking over at the two and saying: "I wasn't going to come out, because what you're talking about is very strange and embarrassing, and I thought it would be awkward."

Rather than letting the moment grow even more awkward, Eric decides to deflect the attention onto the schoolmate, saying: "You should wash your hands, you dirty pig!"

And so a truly iconic moment was born.

It's proven so iconic, in fact, that it's become something of a meme - a very clean, informative meme, urging people to wash their hands after going to the toilet. In short, a meme we can DEFINITELY all get on board with.

One person tweeted: "WE NEED THESE PRINTED OUT, FRAMED AND PUT IN ALL THE BATHROOMS @TwitterUK."

And dutifully, Twitter followed suit, with photos similar posters in bathrooms everywhere shared on social media.

Hopefully we'll be getting a season three of Sex Education, so that Eric can continue to inspire the masses.

It's not been confirmed yet, but co-creator and writer Laurie Nunn promises she has plenty more material for the show after its first two series.

Speaking to LADbible, Nunn said: "I've started writing series three, but that's just a very normal part of the process because we work on such tight schedule, and season three hasn't been greenlit yet or officially commissioned.

"We won't find out whether we get a series three until the end of January, so fingers crossed!"

Now we just need the green light from Netflix...

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Sex Education, Netflix

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman