Kit Connor has explained a big reason behind deciding to bulk up (Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images)
Heartstopper star Kit Connor has revealed the reason he buffed up in recent months was due to pressure from the show’s fans.
Last year the actor, 19, appeared in the hit Netflix series as Nick Nelson, a popular rugby player coming to terms with his sexuality.
The show was a huge hit, making household names of him and other actors including co-star Joe Locke.
However, at the same time, Kit was subjected to pressure from some viewers to address his sexuality and he’s now said comments about his body also had an effect.
Between filming for the first and second season, which is out in a few weeks, Kit has spent time at the gym bulking up.
Photos of the actor posted on social media in recent months showing his muscular physique have picked up plenty of attention online, including from his former Rocketman co-star Taron Egerton, who commented: ‘Are you f***ing kidding me?’
He set the internet alight in recent months with shirtless photos like these (Picture: Josh Lee Spooner/ Instagram)
However now Kit has said a big reason about why he decided to hit the gym came from comments comparing him to the tall and buff drawings of Nick in the graphic novel the series was based on.
‘I wouldn’t say I was forced into it by fans, but it was me as a young adult coming to terms with the body that I had and feeling I wasn’t completely equipped to play the role,’ he said while speaking to Vulture.
‘That wasn’t a good way of thinking, but I was a teenager. I still am.’
However, he did explain how he felt that he now had a much healthier relationship to his body and found working out to be good for his mental health.
The actor stars in the Netflix series alongside Joe Locke (Picture: Netflix)
But that hasn’t meant he’s also not wanted to show off the results of his hard work, with some ‘thirst traps’ making their way onto his social media accounts.
Kit admitted that sharing these had seen him become the subject of some friendly teasing, including from a Heartstopper co-star, who told him: ‘Oh, are we posting thirst traps now?’
Explaining how he didn’t want to be ‘that guy’ sharing shirtless selfies online, Kit said he was still trying to find a balance though.
‘Anyone else does it, I’m like, “Yeah, absolutely, body positivity!”
‘But when it comes to me, I’m just like, “Absolutely not”.’
Earlier this month Kit spoke about being ‘forced to out himself’ after being met with backlash for refusing to label his sexuality, with some Heartstopper fans going so far as to accuse him of queerbaiting.
Explaining how he didn’t regret what had happened, Kit did say he wish coming out could have happened under different circumstances.
‘I just felt like it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about,’ he explained.
He then added he wasn’t ‘angry’ at what unfolded but was ‘slightly disappointed’.
Heartstopper season two premieres August 3 on Netflix.
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‘I was coming to terms with my body.’
