Well howdy-do, this is some exciting news.
For those who have watched Netflix's Stranger Things, you'll know about sweet, lovely Nancy Wheeler, the teenage sister to certified legend and Demogorgon fighter Mike. She's your average teenage girl – hating on her parents, "experimenting" with alcoholic beverages and starting to attract the attention of some boys at school. Let's just not even mention Barb (sorry, Barb).
Nancy is pursued by class hunk and popular boy Steve Harrington, who Nancy inevitably develops a crush on. She goes to his house, chugs some beer, takes her clothes off and goes for a cheeky dip in the pool. Meanwhile, the token ~weird artsy kid~ Jonathan Byers watches creepily by and takes photos of Nancy next to the pool in her underwear.
Anyway, over the course of the first season, a love triangle develops between sweet Nancy, hunky Steve, and misunderstood Jonathan. Everyone comes to feel a bit sorry for and eventually like Jonathan, which is why it makes everyone feel nice when their romantic connection lets off little sparks every now and again through the drama of the season. But ultimately (last minute spoiler alert), Nancy ends up with Steve and Jonathan stays "just a friend".
This disappointed a lot of people, who really wanted Jonathan to win for once and end up with his dream girl. So the news that Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler might be dating in real life has the potential to get a lot of people in a frenzy.
Just yesterday, a paparazzi snapped a pic of actors Natalia Dyer (Nancy) and Charlie Heaton (Jonathan) casually strolling around New York City... WHILE HOLDING HANDS.
That's the kind of hand-holding action that people who are a little bit more than just co-workers engage in. The 20-year-old American actress and the 23-year-old actor from England met while filming the show, which was first released on Netflix in July last year.
The internet is giddy with excitement about what the hand-holding photo suggests:
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But others have been quick to point out that duh, this is kind of old news. Fans of the show haven't let hints over the past few months go unnoticed, over-analysing any piece of evidence they can get their hands on.
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Some people think the pair have actually been together a while now, based on images that have circulated the internet before.
Like this post from Dyer's own Instagram page, suggesting that the two might've gone on a trip to Barcelona together:
They've been snapped traveling through LAX together:
And they're usually sitting together at swanky events and getting photos together on the red carpet. Although nothing's been confirmed, these are all tell-tale signs of a celebrity romance. And the pic of them hand-holding: that's almost a guarantee that the two actors are an item. Yippee!
Published 11:06 25 Aug 2020 GMT
Natalia Dyer says 'Stranger Things' kids are over-sexualized
Stranger Things star, Natalia Dyer, has condemned what she brands as the "over-sexualisation" of her young co-stars.
Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler on the hit Netflix television show, told the Independent that she feels "protective" over the children of the series.
"There are so many layers going on here," Dyer "cautiously," told the publication in a new interview. "I generally feel like, to me, it’s oversexualizing them."
"I feel protective over the younger kids even though they’re not kids anymore, they’re teens. They’re all great people and all having to grow up in very crazy circumstances. As a private person, I just feel like, leave people alone – unless you’re talking about their work or what they want to talk about. It’s a very tricky and complex issue," she continued.
The 25-year-old added that sexualising young actors is a "cultural issue, there must be a bigger concept behind it as to why. Just let people be the people that they are, without any judgment."
Dyer's co-star, Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven in the series, has previously touched on the subject. In an Instagram post to mark her 16th birthday, she wrote:
"16 has felt like a long time coming. i feel like change needs to happen for not only this generation but the next. our world needs kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed,” Brown wrote in February. “The last few years haven't been easy, I'll admit that. there are moments i get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me. but not ever will i be defeated. ill continue doing what i love and spreading the message in order to make change [sic]."
Finn Wolfhard, who is 17-years-old and also stars in Stranger Things, has received inappropriate messages from fans on social media throughout his time on the show.
Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has confirmed a huge fan theory about the show.
Schnapp - who plays Will Byers in the hit Netflix series - has revealed in an interview that his character is gay and in love with his close friend Mike Wheeler (played by Finn Wolfhard).
Fans have been speculating about Will's sexuality for a while, with theories reaching a fever pitch after the recent release of the fourth season. In particular, a scene in which Schnapp's character opens up about feeling "different" was taken as confirmation by many viewers that he had more-than-friendly feelings towards his old pal.
Now, Schnapp has given his take on the situation - confirming that, as far as he's concerned, it's "100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike."
Wolfhard and Schnapp in Stranger Things Season 2. Credit: Netflix / The Hollywood Archive
"Obviously, it was hinted at in season one. It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends? Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing," the actor, 17, told Variety.
Schnapp went on to praise Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer for their handling of the storyline, saying: "It was a slow arc. I think it is done so beautifully because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay."
He also touched on the much-talked-about scene between Will and Mike in the back of Argyle's pizza van, when Will opens up about feeling different. "This scene was really important for him, because it really solidified that truth, that he loves his best friend and he doesn’t know how to tell him," Schnapp said.
Later in the interview, Schnapp moved on to talk about his headline-making drama with Doja Cat. The singer called him a "snake" out on social media after he shared private DM's between the two of them, in which she asked him to hook her up with his Stranger Things co-star Joseph Quinn.
Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy
Despite the drama, Schnapp assured people that things between him and the singer were all smoothed over.
"I posted that not thinking too much of it, but obviously it hurt her feelings. So, as I should, I apologized and she was totally okay with it, and was like, 'I’m sorry how I reacted,'" he explained, adding: "People make such a big deal out of everything when it’s on the internet, but, like, in reality, it’s like a two-minute thing."
The end is near for Stranger Things, but the fandom drama is far from over — especially when it comes to the beloved “Byler” ship.
As fans dive into the final chapter of the hit Netflix series, speculation is at an all-time high about what’s next for Will Byers and Mike Wheeler.
While the series has always delivered on supernatural twists and retro thrills, it’s the emotional arcs that have fans fully invested — none more so than the possibility of Will and Mike ending up together.
And now, both Finn Wolfhard and showrunner Ross Duffer are weighing in.
Finn and Ross address 'Byler' hype
Since day one, some fans have rooted for Will and Mike to become more than just best friends.
Their bond has deepened over the seasons, with Stranger Things 4 revealing that Will harbors romantic feelings for Mike — though he’s yet to officially come out on the show.
In a recent interview with Attitude, Finn Wolfhard opened up about the intense fan attention surrounding “Byler” and whether the show might explore that relationship.
“I mean with the shipping thing, that’s always, I think, a thing with fans of the show," Finn said. "To be honest, that's something in the show that I feel like if that did happen, [it] wouldn't feel that earned?"
He continued: “What's so great about the show is that people are able to sort of be themselves and be accepted for who they are. Honestly, I'll just go and film. I don't really look as much on the internet about this stuff.”
People want Mike and Will to get together. Credit: Netflix
Ross Duffer, who co-created the show with his brother Matt, echoed that sentiment when speaking to the same publication.
“I mean I've seen every ship with every character. Byler's probably one of the loudest groups that we have. I think it's fun. Let the fans have characters they want to see together, dreams about the mythology, where it's gonna go,” Ross said.
“At the end of the day, when we sit down to write the season, you have to sort of shut off all the noise and just do what you think is right for these characters in this story.”
While they may not be giving anything away, it’s clear the creators are aware of the buzz. Still, don't hold your breath — it sounds like the endgame is already in motion.
But Will’s sexuality is no longer up for debate. Back in 2022, Noah Schnapp confirmed what many fans had suspected from the start.
“Obviously, it was hinted at in season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew...now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike,” he told Variety.
The cast of Stranger Things. Credit: Michael Buckner / Getty
Netflix crashes as Stranger Things 5 premieres
When the highly anticipated first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 hit Netflix on November 26, fans were ready — but the platform wasn’t.
Right at 5:00PM PT, Netflix experienced a brief crash that left countless users unable to stream the new episodes. Social media lit up with complaints as fans scrambled to enter Hawkins once again, only to be met with errors.
The outage didn’t last long, thankfully. Netflix quickly got things back on track.
A spokesperson told People: “Some members briefly experienced an issue streaming on TV devices, but service recovered for all accounts within five minutes.”
Ross Duffer had even tried to prepare fans in advance, revealing on Instagram Stories that Netflix had “increased bandwidth by 30 percent to avoid a crash.”
Despite the effort, the demand proved overwhelming — a testament to just how huge the show remains.
Still, the quick fix minimized any major disruption, and fans were soon back to navigating the Upside Down.
The final season promises epic showdowns and high stakes
Set in the fall of 1987, Stranger Things 5 is shaping up to be the most intense season yet.
With a total of eight episodes, Netflix dropped the first four on November 26, with the rest slated to roll out over the coming weeks. The series finale is set for December 31.
Seriously, sometimes it feels like the news is nothing other than pictures and clips of loved-up celebs showing off about their amazing lives.
That is, of course, when it's not about all the celebrity feuds going on.
Most recently, the biggest celebrity breakup to come out of Hollywood was that of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan - but it looks like another famous duo's relationship might be on the rocks.
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton - better known as the on-screen couple Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things - were caught in a heated argument on the streets of LA last week, and it's got fans worrying that their relationship might be in jeopardy.
The pair were spotted on Friday night in the Loz Feliz neighborhood, having seemingly just been out for a meal together. However, rather than seeming their happy, loved-up selves, the couple appeared to be distinctly off with one another.
At one point, Dyer can be seen pulling her hand away from Heaton, and his attempts to placate her don't really do any good.
The two then stop to have a conversation, but it isn't clear exactly what is being said. Dyer stands upright with his arms folded, while Heaton stoops several times - either to pick something up from the ground, or possibly to tie his shoelaces. Some have speculated that the argument was not serious, and that Heaton was simply finding a lighter that Dyer had dropped, but their body language says otherwise.
When he reaches out to touch her, she recoils, and raises her hands in an apparently mocking way.
This interaction has got fans worried, as a breakup in real life could put their characters' storylines at risk too.
And this isn't the first time that Heaton has been caught acting out, either. At the end of last year, the 24-year-old was deported from the US after it transpired that he had traces of cocaine upon his person.
"He was not arrested," a source said at the time. "He was held at the airport for a while and then put back on a plane to London that night.
"If you are a foreign national and it is a large amount of drugs you may be charged. But if it is personal use, the consequences are that you will not be allowed in to the country. US law is very strict on this."
Heaton eventually fessed up to having made a huge mistake in the drugs bust, and said that he'd never want to do anything to put his role in Stranger Things at risk.
With that in mind, then, we're hoping he patches up things with Dyer very soon.
It's hard to believe that it's been three years since the first season of Stranger Things aired on our TV screens. The Netflix TV series, created by the Duffer Brothers, was a sleeper hit back in the summer of 2016, but since then, the world of Hawkins, Indiana, has only gotten more popular since then.
The show works as a fantastic homage to some of the most beloved pop culture of the 80s, including the novels of Stephen King, the movies of John Carpenter and Steven Spielberg, with a generous helping (and even an ex cast-member) of the Goonies thrown in for good measure.
A lot has changed since then: Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Great Britain voted to leave the European Union, and the cast has changed a lot. It's always going to happen when your cast is just about to hit puberty, but over the course of the last few seasons, the stars of the series have grown up a lot. Even the adults have changed, styling new haircuts and facial hair in the latest episodes.
If you don't believe me then just take a gander at the following pics to prove it:
1. Max Mayfield - Sadie Sink
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2. Joyce Byers - Winona Ryder
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3. Will Byers - Noah Schnapp
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4. Lucas Sinclair - Caleb McLaughlin
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5. Sheriff Hopper - David Harbour
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6. Jonathan Byers - Charlie Heaton
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7. Dustin Henderson - Gaten Matarazzo
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8. Eleven - Millie Bobbie Brown
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9. Steve Harrington - Joe Keery
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10. Nancy Wheeler - Natalia Dyer
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11. Mike Wheeler - Finn Wolfhard
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Season three introduced a whole slew of new characters to the roster. But in a surprising twist, a certain smug Russian scientist ended up becoming a firm fan-favourite.
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