Sex Education season 4: Patricia Allison exits show, Ola not returning

It’s the end of the road for one Sex Education character. Patricia Allison, who has played Ola Nyman for three seasons, has opted not to return for Sex Education season 4.

The actress recently revealed she wouldn’t be returning for the series during a chat with the U.K. radio show Breakfast with Yinka and Shayna Marie. You can watch the clip for yourself below. The good news is that the it sounds like Allison left the show of her own accord. She had nothing to but loving things to say about her tenure on the acclaimed Netflix show.

Filming on season 4 is expected to begin very soon after a lengthy hiatus since the show’s third season premiered.

Why won’t Patricia Allison be in Sex Education season 4?

According to Allison, she has had some amazing opportunities come up and she wants to pursue those rather than continue on as Ola. Being locked down as a series regular on a television series can be very time-consuming, so it’s understandable that Allison would have had to make a choice between projects, especially if there is overlap in scheduling.

https://twitter.com/CapitalXTRA/status/1544223390273343489?s=20&t=PKBzzOn8WI9HkyXi3adOHw

As much as we’ll miss Ola, it’s awesome to see so many of the talented cast members on Sex Education getting picked up to do new and exciting projects. Allison’s castmates Emma Mackey (Maeve) and Ncuti Gatwa (Eric) are both set to appear in the upcoming Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie. Gatwa has also been tapped to become the new Doctor Who.

Allison did not say exactly what opportunities she plans on pursuing, but we wish her all the best luck with her future endeavors!

Here’s her full quote:

"“I absolutely have loved being on Sex Education so, so much … but unfortunately, I won’t be joining the team for season 4. I’m so sorry to have to break that to you guys. But some other opportunities have come up. I’ve been doing it for three years, and I’ve genuinely loved it so much.”"

While the 27-year-old actress acknowledged that it was a difficult decision, she’s also very excited for what’s to come.

Allison’s exit marks the second notable departure from the show after Simone Ashley revealed she wouldn’t be back to play Olivia, instead focusing on another Netflix staple: Bridgerton.