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The creator of the hit Netflix show Sex Education has opened up about all the cast departures that happened ahead of season four.
As production on the fourth and final season began, it seemed like everyone and their mum was confirming that they wouldn't be part of it.
The teen comedy-drama series has been a hit ever since we first witnessed all the awkward goings on at Moordale secondary school back in 2019.
Class will be in session one last time this September, but in a brand new location - Cavendish Sixth Form - albeit without a few familiar faces.
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Here's a little refresh. Patricia Allison, who played Ola from seasons one through three, announced her departure from the show after season three wrapped.
Ola started off dating Otis (Asa Butterfield), but later dumps him for alien-obsessed Lily (Tanya Reynolds).
Allison told Capital 1Xtra: “I absolutely have loved being on Sex Education so, so much, and playing Ola. But unfortunately, I won’t be joining the team for season four."
Meanwhile, Reynolds also confirmed in an interview with LADbible last July that she wouldn’t be returning to the series.
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“There'll be lots of new characters and people will forget all about little old Lil,” she said.
Simone Ashley, who portrayed a member of Moordale High’s royalty, aka The Untouchables, from seasons one through three announced her exit in April last year.
She went on to play Kate in the steamy costume drama Bridgerton, who got heart-rates pumping with an enemies to lovers romance with Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) in the second season.
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Rakhee Thakrar played adorable English teacher Emily Sands in the first three seasons of Sex Education and won't be back this time.
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Miss Sands had a romance with fellow teacher Colin Hendricks (Jim Howick) and was instrumental in helping Maeve realise her true potential.
She confirmed in August 2022 that while she couldn’t talk about why, she would not be part of the new season in an interview with the Daily Star on Sunday.
Addressing some of the cast departures, Sex Education creator Laurie Nunn explained that it felt like the storylines for these characters came to a natural conclusion.
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Speaking to LADbible, she said: "Those storylines felt like they had just come to a really lovely ending in series three, and I felt like the characters of Lily and Ola just really felt like they ended in a really happy place.
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"Particularly because they're a lesbian couple, I wanted them to not have any more pain or trauma, and just be left happy together. So that felt like a very organic place place to leave them.”
Don't worry, folks as there will be a lots of main characters returning, plus some exciting new faces.
In the final season, we'll see Otis (Asa Butterfield) is dealing with being a big brother on top of having to saying goodbye to Maeve (Emma Mackey), as well as his breakup with Ruby (Mimi Keene).
He also faces some, ahem, stiff competition now that there's another sex therapist at their sixth form.
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Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), meanwhile, is mourning the end of his complicated relationship with Adam (Connor Swindells).
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Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy is joining the cast as Maeve's new teacher in the States, while Jodie Turner-Smith will play a character linked to Eric's storyline.
Both of the new additions are huge fans of the show and couldn't wait to enrol.
Although she couldn't say anything about Turner-Smith's role, Nunn teased Levy's part in the season, telling LADbible: "He's this very sort of revered, intellectual, writerly figure and all of the students at the campus like him very much [and] put him on a pedestal and he ends up having quite a great effect on Maeve."
Sex Education season four debuts 21 September on Netflix.
Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: TV and Film, Sex Education, Netflix