Nobody causes internet hysteria quite like British actor Kit Connor. The very modern teen idol talks to Chris Godfrey about sudden fame, working out, and the return of the Netflix sensation.

Nothing could have readied Kit Connor for his newfound teen idol status. Sure, the His Dark Materials star had done his first red carpet interviews aged 10 and worked with Steven Spielberg before he’d even done his GCSEs. But the kind of exposure that came with playing a lead in Netflix’s megahit Heartstopper? “I don’t think anyone’s ever really prepared for it,” says Connor. “Suddenly you feel like there are a lot more eyes on you.”

The first season, launched in relative obscurity in April last year, transformed the up–and–comer into an immediate superstar – the kind of hot young thing who sits front row at Loewe and JW Anderson shows, whom paparazzi wait for outside industry parties and whose presence at fan meet–and–greets causes total chaos. With season two launching next month, Connor is poised for another wave of hysteria.

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Few things tap into the nostalgia of our wistful youth like the budding flowers of first love. This factor is what makes a series like “Heartstopper” so powerful and life–affirming, as these types of stories show that no matter how lost you feel as a teenager or young adult, there’s someone out there who can love you for who you are.

Based on the web comic by Alice Oseman, which eventually grew to be a graphic novel as well, Netflix’s adaptation charts all of the awkwardness and tenderness of first love while navigating the complexity of friendships and relationships. One scene from “Heartstopper” that taps into these feelings so directly is the triple date that Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) join their friends for.

However, while those milkshakes might have looked good on screen, Locke and Connor assured British GQ that this was not the case. Though the duo enjoyed shooting the scene, as it had many of the cast members working together for the day, they clearly had deep trauma from how bad those milkshakes tasted in reality. “I see that milkshake; I can just instantly feel a little bit sick,” said Locke while rewatching the scene with Connor.

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