The Netflix comedy-drama follows the lives of the students, staff and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School as they navigate various personal and sexual dilemmas. Season 4 has been confirmed but no release date has been announced yet.
Sex Education Season 3 was released on Netflix in September 2021 and left fans with several cliffhangers, including the fate of Moordale after Headmistress Hope (Jemima Kirke) quit and the school was sold to developers.
Questions around several characters’ storylines may be left permanently unanswered, even when the show returns, as four actors have confirmed that they will not be reprising their roles for Season 4.
Newsweek has all the news on the stars who will not be returning to Sex Education.
Rakhee Thakrar
Rakhee Thakrar has played Moordale Secondary School teacher Emily Sands since the show began but will not be reprising her role next in Season 4.
Speaking to British newspaper the Daily Star on Sunday she said: “I’m not part of the new series. I can’t really talk about why but I’m so proud of the show and grateful to have been part of something so important. There is nothing bad about Sex Education.”
Patricia Allison
Patricia Allison, who has played Ola since Season 1, broke the news she would not be returning to Sex Education Season 4 during an interview on the U.K. radio show, Breakfast With Yinka and Shayna Marie.
Allison said she had left the show to pursue “other opportunities,” adding it was a “difficult” decision.
“I absolutely have loved being on Sex Education so, so much… but unfortunately, I won’t be joining the team for Season 4. Some opportunities have come up. I’ve been doing it for three years, and I’ve genuinely loved it,” she said.
She continued: “I guess I have to say goodbye at some time, which is kind of sad, but other things are coming, and that’s really exciting.”
Tanya Reynolds
Reynolds, who plays Lily Iglehart, has also confirmed she is departing the Sex Education cast. When asked if she was returning for Season 4 Tanya told Metro.co.uk: “I’m not, sadly. I will miss the gang a lot, but onwards!”
Reynolds later told the Radio Times: “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.”
Simone Ashley
Simone Ashley, who played Olivia in Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Sex Education will also not be returning to the show after finding huge success in her role as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton.
Confirming her exit on U.K. chat show This Morning, Ashley said: “I’m a Bridgerton gal now!”
Ashley is currently filming the third season of Bridgerton, which will focus on Nicola Coughlan’s character Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton).
Among the cast exits, several stars have confirmed they will return to Sex Education. Asa Butterfield (Otis), Gillian Anderson (Jean), Ncuti Gatwa (Eric), Emma Mackey (Maeve), Connor Swindells (Adam), Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson), Alistair Petrie (Mr. Groff), Aimee Lou Wood (Aimee), Mimi Keene (Ruby), Chaneil Kular (Anwar) and Mikael Persbrandt (Jakob) will all feature in the new episodes when the series returns.
Newsweek has contacted Netflix for comment.
Sex Education will return to Netflix for Season 4.
