"Little Joe would’ve watched Heartstopper in secret!" Joe Locke: queer representation matters

Happy Place with Fearne Cotton

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Monday, 20 July 2026 - 49 minutes

Joe Locke was doing his A levels on the Isle of Man when Heartstopper came out on Netflix. Two days later he had 3 million new Instagram followers.In this chat, Fearne and Joe both share their experiences of being thrust into the spotlight as teenagers, and how it’s affected them mentally. He explores his fear that his success might just be a fluke, and why he's so keen to prove he belongs in the industry.They also chat about how vital it is to have LGBTQ+ representation like Heartstopper on TV, and why Joe came out twice. Plus, what can we all learn from Joe’s experience of having to grow up fast about giving ourselves permission to be young and messy?You can watch Joe in Heartstopper Forever on Netflix now.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Olly AlexanderChris AppletonJulian Clary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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