Skins fans were left emotional on Wednesday as former stars Kaya Scodelario and Luke Pasqualino shared a sweet reunion, 16 years after starring opposite each other on the iconic E4 show.
Kaya, 34, took to her Instagram Stories to share a heartwarming snap of her cosying up to Luke, 36, while out to dinner together, playfully referencing their character's famous doomed romance with the caption: 'Freffy 4 Ever'.
The actress shot to fame as Effy Stonem in the coming-of-age series, appearing in the first season in 2007 at just 14 years old. Luke joined the show in series three as skater Freddie McClair, who quickly falls for Effy, but meets a tragic end in 2010 when he is brutally murdered by her unhinged psychotherapist.
Fans were delighted to see the former co-stars back together again, taking to social media to admit they 'could cry'. They gushed: 'Omg this made my whole day'; '2 of my OG crushes!!! <3 This makes me so happy'; 'Always grateful our girl is a Freffy shipper'; 'that's exactly what the fans want to see'; 'I'm glad that a majority of the cast still seem to be getting along'; 'This is so cute'; 'my otp. i want to imagine freddie didn't die and this is freddie and effy in the future'; 'THATS ADORABLE IM CRYING I LOVE IT'; 'My heart'; 'Omg, I could cry. Didn't know I needed this'; 'Awwww they both look gorgeous'; 'Gosh they're so cute'; 'freffy was my favourite'.
His reunion with Kaya comes after it was revealed that Luke has become a dad, after quietly welcoming his first child with fiancée Leah Aschettino. Last month, it was reported that the actor - who is set to reprise his role as Basil 'Bas' Baddingham in series 2 of Disney+ hit Rivals - had welcomed a baby girl in December. A source told The Sun: 'Luke has taken to fatherhood effortlessly and absolutely dotes on his little girl. He's a real family man and has had plenty of practice as fun uncle to his older sister Natalie's children. It proved the perfect time to start a family after the huge success of Rivals and lets him enjoy the precious family time before the promo push for series two kicks in.'
Skins ran from 2007 to 2013 and followed the lives of a group of teenagers from Bristol, tackling issues such as mental illness, eating disorders and substance abuse. In September, original cast members Kaya, Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya and Joe Dempsie thrilled fans when they reunited at a mutual friend's wedding. Kaya shared a photo of the group together with a heartfelt caption, as she penned: 'The way I used to pray for brothers growing up – knowing I have you all now is everything.'
She previously admitted that while she would 'always be grateful' for getting her start in Skins, it had caused her a lot of issues in later life. She made the admission on TikTok as she reacted to HBO series Euphoria - which like Skins centred around high school students amid their struggles with drugs, sex and trauma. Filming herself staring wide-eyed at the camera, Kaya mouthed over words which said: 'Watching Euphoria for the first time thinking this is crazy for 17 year olds then remembering what I was doing on TV at 14.' The actress captioned the clip: 'Will always be greatful [sic]. But yeah safeguarding really wasn't a thing back then…' While replying to a fan who asked if the programme affected her mentality at that age, she confirmed: 'Yes. It was a beautiful time but also the deep-rooted cause of a lot of my issues now. Still, it gave me the opportunity to do the job I loved.'
The controversial series served as a launchpad for a number of British stars who have gone on to have incredible careers in Hollywood. Kaya scored roles in the likes of big franchises like The Maze Runner and Pirates of the Caribbean, while recently wowing in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen. Nicholas - who played Effy's brother Tony - has found huge mainstream success in the X-Men films, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Menu, Nosferatu and as Lex Luthor in Superman. While Daniel, who played Posh Kenneth in the show, had his breakthrough in critically acclaimed 2017 film Get Out, following it up with roles in Black Panther and winning an Oscar for his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah. Other massive stars to have emerged from the show include Jack O'Connell (James Cook), who recently starred in 28 Years Later and opposite Michael B. Jordan in record-breaking horror Sinners. And Dev Patel, who played Anwar Kharral, came to worldwide fame after playing the lead role in Slumdog Millionaire, and received an Oscar nod in 2016 for his performance in Lion.
