Sex Education is returning to our screens this year, and on 24 June, the release date for series three [1] was confirmed. Along with some exciting first-look images, a synopsis, and a sneak peek into what the school uniforms will look like, we were treated to news about some of the fresh faces set to join the existing cast.

Amongst the new lineup are a headteacher named Hope, a nonbinary student named Cal, Mr Groff's successful older brother, and a foster mum named Anna. Along with the new faces, the show's third series thankfully sees the returns of Asa Butterfield (who plays Otis), Emma Mackey (who plays Maeve), and Ncuti Gatwa (who plays Eric). Also due to return in series three is the award-winning Aimee Lou Wood [2], who took home a BAFTA earlier this year for best female performance in a comedy programme for her portrayal of Aimee.

Keep reading to find out all you need to know about Sex Education's series three cast.

Dua Saleh as Cal

Recording artist and songwriter Dua Saleh is joining the cast of Sex Education as Cal, a nonbinary student who attends Moordale High. The show marks Saleh's acting debut, making them a true newcomer to the series.

Jason Isaacs as Peter Groff

Jason Isaacs joins the cast as Peter Groff, the older and more successful (but not more modest, by any means) brother of Mr Groff. We must admit, after the trials and tribulations we've seen the Groff family experience thus far, we're very much looking forward to watching even more drama unfold in their household.

Jemima Kirke as Hope

English-American artist and actor Jemima Kirke, whom you may recognise from Girls and Untogether, is joining Sex Education for its third series as a headmistress named Hope. According to the Netflix synopsis, Kirke is a new teacher who "tries to return Moordale to a pillar of excellence."

Indra Ové as Anna

Indra Ové joins the series as Anna, the foster mum of Elsie Wiley. For those of you who may not recall, series two of Sex Education ended with Maeve's mum, Erin, being taken away after Maeve noticed that she was using again. As a result, Maeve's half-sister, Elsie, had to be taken into foster care.

Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn

Unsurprisingly, Asa Butterfield is of course returning to Sex Education for the show's third series, continuing his role as Otis Milburn. According to the Netflix synopsis, Otis spends series three having "casual sex", which we're incredibly intrigued by.

Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs

BAFTA-winning Aimee Lou Wood will of course return to Sex Education for its third series, continuing her role as Aimee Gibbs. Following her award win, Wood told reporters about the new series, explaining, "Aimee's storyline in season two, it's continued, [and] it's handled beautifully throughout season three as well."

Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley

Maeve Wiley, aka Emma Mackey, will be returning to Sex Education for its third series, and we are so grateful. After that cliffhanger ending, we can't wait to see what happens with Maeve and Otis, and we're not the only ones!

Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn

Otis's mum, Jean Milburn, aka the sex therapist who inspired him to start his own "clinic", will be back in series three for even more awkward adventures. At the end of series two, Jean was faced with a bit of a life-changing decision to make after discovering that she'd become pregnant, so we can't wait to see what happens next.

Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong

Series three of Sex Education wouldn't be complete without Otis's best friend, Eric Effiong, by his side. Ncuti Gatwa will be returning for the show's new series, to continue his blossoming relationship with Adam Groff (played by Connor Swindells).

Connor Swindells as Adam Groff

Series two was quite an experience for Adam Groff, played by Connor Swindells, and he's back for more. The third series of Sex Education will see Adam exploring his newfound relationship with Eric, and we're sure he'll have some major feels about his uncle coming to town.

Simone Ashley as Olivia Hanan

Simone Ashley, who's recently been confirmed to join Bridgerton's upcoming series [3], will in fact be returning to Sex Education for series three. Continuing her role as Olivia Hanan, one of Moordale High's resident mean girls [4], we're looking forward to seeing how her character changes.

Patricia Allison as Ola Nyman

Patricia Allison will be back for series three as Ola Nyman, aka the daughter of Jean's former love interest. Back in series two, we saw Ola explore a relationship with Lily Iglehart (played by Tanya Reynolds), so we look forward to seeing how far they've both come.

Tanya Reynolds as Lily Iglehart

Lily Iglehart, played by Tanya Reynolds, had quite an eventful time in series two, so it makes perfect sense that she'll be back for the show's upcoming series to tie up some loose ends. After an unfortunate end to her "relationship" with Otis, she began to explore the idea of being with Ola, so we're looking forward to seeing if they're both in it for the long haul.

Chinenye Ezeudu as Viv Odusanya

Chinenye Ezeudu will be back in series three, continuing her role as Viv Odusanya. Her character was introduced in the show's second series, and she quickly became good friends with Jackson Marchetti (played by Kedar Williams-Stirling) after helping him with his career decisions.

Alistair Petrie as Michael Groff

Alistair Petrie has portrayed the somewhat insufferable Michael Groff for two series, and we can confirm that he will in fact be back for series three. It's clear that the new series is going to be a big one for Mr Groff, and we look forward to watching him deal with a potential divorce, his brother visiting, and being put on leave after his meltdown at the school play.