As Sex Education moves into its final season on Netflix, one of its most loved cast members has spoken out about what it's been like to film behind the scenes.
Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Eric Effiong, has described working on the Netflix hit series as "a battle" as he revealed it "wasn't always joyous" as they tackled difficult coming of age storylines.
The actor, who will become the 15th Doctor Who in the next BBC series, discussed the drama which became a huge hit on Netflix when it was first released in January 2019.
The series stars Asa Butterfield, Barbie star Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, Aimee-Lou Wood, Connor Swindells and Dan Levy.
Speaking to Rolling Stone UK in an exclusive interview, Ncuti called the ending of the Netflix hit show "a bittersweet goodbye".
In his interview, he said: "It was very hard; it was such a big show. When you're telling stories that haven't been seen before.
"There's always a battle as to how to tell them. It wasn't always joyous. I feel like we've outgrown it, and we've given everything we can to it."
Ncuti's character Eric quickly became a much loved character alongside best pal Otis as Eric explored his gay sexuality despite his strict religious African background.
Ncuti also opened up about fighting to authentically represent Eric as he explained: "It fast-tracked me into the downsides of this industry. I remember being told by an executive producer that white people wouldn't understand my character, Eric, which incensed me. There's an entire show there for white people to understand."
Ncuti's comments come after the official Instagram account announced last week the fourth season would be the last for the show.
In a post captioned as "love from us to you", the account shared a letter which read: "It’s been a while since you heard from us. This Autumn we’re back with season 4, coming to Netflix on September 21.
"A lot has happened since our first writers room in 2017, when we spent a month in a cramped office above a sex shop, talking about what it felt like to go through puberty. The painful awkwardness, first crushes and big, big feelings.
"We wanted to make a show that would answer some of the questions we all used to have about love, sex, friendship, and our bodies.
"Something that would have helped our inner teenagers feel a little less alone."
It continued: "It’s been overwhelming seeing how the show has connected with people around the world, and we hope it’s made some of you feel a little less alone too.
"Writing this feels bittersweet, as we’ve decided the fourth season will also be the final instalment of our show.
"This was not an easy decision to make, but as the themes and stories of the new season crystallised, it became clear that this was the right time to graduate.
"We are incredibly proud of Sex Education and feel indebted to our brilliant writers, cast and crew who put so much heart into making every episode. They have worked tirelessly to bring you this final season, and we can’t wait to share it with you."
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