Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli in 'Off Campus'
Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli in 'Off Campus'. Prime Video

When Off Campus premiered on Prime Video, it quickly became a streaming hit, ranking as the platform's No. 3 most-viewed debut season ever with 36 million viewers in 12 days.

While many fans enjoyed watching the hockey romance series, others raised concerns over the age gap between the show's leads, Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli. Bright is 19, while Cameli is 28—nearly a decade older. Bright recently addressed criticism over the age gap with her onscreen love interest.

Ella Bright Responds to Concerns Over Age Gap with Belmont Cameli

'Listen, I came into this job and during the chemistry reads with more than enough information and knowledge and understanding of what this role required. I just fell in love with Hannah and these scripts immediately. Like, there was never a question that I wouldn't want to do this,' Bright told Amanda Hirsch on the 26 May episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast.

She added that she understands fans' concerns but did not feel uncomfortable or left out on set despite being younger than her castmates.

'I get people's concern, but also not once did I feel left out from being younger than everybody. We're all such a family, and everyone was just more than perfect, and I couldn't be more comfortable on this set with these people,' Bright said.

The actress added, 'So, it is funny when they say that. I'm like, "I'm good." I'm completely good.'

Bright also explained that her character's partial nudity (compared to Allie's scenes) was a story decision and not something tied to her casting.

'For Hannah the briefing was like partial nudity and for Allie it had to be full, just because Allie, she's got this amazing confidence about her, and she is so free with her body. And sex is just such an important part of her life. It is honestly just showing the difference between these characters.'

She added, 'For Hannah, obviously, given her backstory, she dresses more innocently, and she's got the skinny jeans and the hoodies. It just shows the dichotomy between the characters. That was always from the beginning, the idea — all the Hannahs auditioning knew it was just gonna be partial, and for Allie it was gonna be full, so everyone had full understanding of what we were going into.'

Showrunner Louisa Levy also addressed the criticism in an interview with Variety, saying that they 'never did anything that made anyone uncomfortable.'

'I had a conversation with Ella before we closed her deal to make sure she knew what was coming. She'd read the book, so she already understood, but I walked her through everything and made sure she was comfortable and confident. If I had felt she wasn't ready, I would have pumped the brakes immediately. But she was so game,' she said.

'And we have an extraordinary intimacy coordinator, Kathy Kadler, who had conversations with not just Belmont and Ella but with all the actors who had any intimacy work — really understanding what made everyone comfortable, what they felt good about, what they didn't. We never did anything that made anyone uncomfortable before we ever rolled a frame of camera,' Levy added.

Will Hannah and Garrett Be in 'Off Campus' Season 2?

Prime Video recently confirmed that Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) and Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) will be the main couple of Season 2. Even though Hannah and Garrett will no longer be the central focus, Bright and Cameli will still be returning in Season 2.

Cameli told Bustle, 'Garrett and Hannah's story isn't over. In fact, it's kind of just beginning. They've just gotten to a place where they have decided to continue their relationship. It really is a beginning for them, and so I'm excited to see where Garrett and Hannah go as individuals and together.'

Read more