Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson delights fans with behind-the-scenes snaps to celebrate new series

Fans were finally able to watch the highly-anticipated third series of Sex Education, following its release on Netflix on Friday. 

And to celebrate the show’s return, Gillian Anderson, who plays sex therapist Dr Jean Milburn, delighted viewers by sharing behind-the-scenes snaps from filming. 

The actress, 53, was seen posing with Asa Butterfield, who plays her onscreen Otis, and Alistair Petrie (Mr Groff) in one selfie, while another snap captured a tray of cupcakes aptly decorated to look like vaginas. 

Also included in Gillian’s post was a photo of Sex Education stars Patricia Allison, who fans know onscreen as Otis’ love interest Ola Nyman, and Aimee Lou Woods who appears in the show as Aimee Gibbs. 

The girls were dressed in character in school uniform and were seen playfully pulling faces on the set of Dr Jean’s home, as they posed alongside crude ornaments hung on the wall.  ‘

Yonis for everyone! @sexeducation S3 out today,’ Gillian captioned her post, giving a nod to the #YoniOfTheDay hashtag she first trended back when Sex Education’s first series was released. 

Gillian started the fun-loving trend – which sees her sharing pictures of random everyday objects that look like genitalia – after being inspired by her character’s home and the ‘erotic’ objects it was filled with.  

The hashtag took off on social media, with fans now using it to share their own genitalia-inspired snaps of random objects with Gillian online. 

Speaking to ELLE UK, Gillian revealed: ‘On set, I would take pictures of stuff that was around Jean’s house, because it’s pretty extraordinary. Just about every inch is covered by an erotic image of one kind or another.’

She noted that she has ‘blocked her children’ from her social media so she can happily share the X-rated shots with her followers. 

Speaking about her kids, Gillian reflected on how she was initially hesitant about taking the role of Otis’ mum in Sex Education because she was worried about the impact being in an explicit show would have on them.

‘It’s one thing to have a mum who’s in a successful show where there’s penises and yonis in every scene, but it’s another thing to have a mum in a show that everybody cringes about,’ she mused. 

Much-loved: Gillian’s character, however, has become a fan favourite on the show which follows socially awkward student Otis and his school friends and their sexual experiences

Exciting: Asa Butterfield, who plays Otis, revealed there’s a ‘time jump’ in series three and teased changes he hadn’t expected (pictured above with Emma Mackey as Maeve)

Gillian’s character, however, has become a fan favourite on the show which follows socially awkward student Otis and his school friends and their sexual experiences.

Season three picks up from where things left off in the second series – Otis was seen declaring his love for Maeve, played by Emma Mackey, but his message was deleted by Isaac (George Robinson). 

Actor Asa revealed that there’s a ‘time jump’ in the third series and teased that there are a few changes this series that he hadn’t expected.  

 Speaking to The Guardian, he teased: ‘Otis is back at school but he’s got different things on his plate.

‘He’s grown up a bit and become slightly more sassy. It’s been fun to portray his newfound charisma. Don’t worry, though, he’s still tragically awkward too.’

Sex Education also stars Simone Ashely, who has been cast as the lead in season two of Bridgerton, Ncuti Gatwa, Connor Swindells and Tanya Reynolds. 

Sex Education is available to watch on Netflix. 

Fan favourite: Season three of Sex Education landed on Netflix on Friday (pictured above Emma in character as Maeve)