Heartstopper fans spot Doctor Who 'Easter egg' and realise both shows are 'linked'

The latest season of Heartstopper has dropped on — with millions of fans jumping at the chance to binge on eight new episodes of teen romance.

Based on Alice Oseman's popular graphic novels, follows a close group of friends as they experience love and the challenges of growing up.

Throughout its three seasons, the LGBTQ+ series has beautifully shown the developing romance between the main characters, Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), as they go from being friends to boyfriends. The show takes on serious issues like and body image, and fans have come to expect an emotional journey.

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But there was one thing that fans couldn't look past in Season 3, which left them bewildered. A video, shared to X by '', shows an iconic Doctor Who special playing on the TV.

The scene approximately 14 minutes into Episode 5, 'The Runaway Bride', which first aired back in 2006, appeared on screen. The episode follows the Doctor () and Donna Noble () as they stop a deadly alien plot involving her groom on Christmas Day.

"Charlie and Nick watching Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride on Heartstopper was not on my 2024 expectations list," the X user wrote in the caption. Other viewers also took to the comments, with one writing: "Wait, is this actually real?"

Another said: "One of the Christmas specials, of course they are watching that masterpiece for Christmas." Someone else penned: "I was so excited I literally had to pause for a minute to process."

But some TV-obsessed viewers pointed out the connection between the two shows. They said: "Nice little Easter egg as Euros Lyn (who directed the first two series) also directed that episode."

Which is true! Director Euros Lyn, who took charge on the first two seasons of Heartstopper, also worked on episodes of and its spin-off . One of the episodes he directed was The Runaway Bride.

However, it isn't the only connection Heartstopper has with Doctor Who as the shows also share iconic cast members. Actress , 21, who is known for playing Elle Argent in Heartstopper, played the role of Donna and her husband Shaun's daughter, Rose Noble, in the sci-fi show's 60th anniversary.

Nick's mum in Heartstopper is played by . The actress also played a mother/form of Prisoner Zero in Doctor Who's The Eleventh Hour — 's first full episode in the leading role.

also appeared in Heartstopper Season three. While he is largely known for his role as Anthony Bridgerton in the period romance series , he also played Psi in the Doctor Who episode Time Heist, alongside Peter Capaldi's incarnation of the Time Lord.