Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan Teases Her Fate for Season 5

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It seems a well-known, but now retired, source of gossip isn’t being heard from much in high society.

As Bridgerton season five develops the romance between Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), Nicola Coughlan shared details about her role as Penelope Bridgerton in the upcoming season.

The actress explained on the April 29th episode of the Dish podcast that she won’t have a large role in season five because filming had already begun. However, she added that she enjoys the work and is always glad to return to the show whenever possible.

Each season of Bridgerton centers on a different Bridgerton sibling. Nicola Coughlan starred in season three, which told the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope, starting as friends and blossoming into something more.

She playfully explained how nice it is to visit for a short time. She’d arrive, check in on everyone, and then leave again, saying something like, ‘Great to see you all! I’ll be back in two months!’ She added that everyone she works with is incredibly dedicated, while she gets to enjoy coming and going as she pleases, which she loves.

Penelope may not be the main focus, but her departure as the writer of the Lady Whistledown gossip sheet in season four created a noticeable gap in the Mayfair social scene.

Showrunner Jess Brownell hinted that bringing in a new writer could allow the show to feature a wider range of female characters and perspectives.

From Genevieve in the first season, to Penelope as Lady Whistledown, and now with Sophie as a maid, we’re consistently interested in showing the lives of women who worked during that time. It was a period where women had very limited choices and little control over their own lives, so exploring their experiences is important to us,” she explained.

She explained that by portraying women who actively sought to improve their lives instead of simply accepting their circumstances, the show offers a more complete and nuanced representation of women’s experiences.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always believed that as we evolve, so should our self-expression. For Penelope, becoming a mother and wife felt like a natural turning point, and she decided it was the right time to retire her pen name and embrace this new chapter authentically.

You know, watching Penelope’s journey last season was incredible. She’s really come into her own! She used to rely on Whistledown to speak for her, but that’s totally changed. She still believes gossip can be a powerful tool for those who don’t have a voice, but she’s realized it’s time for her to step out of that role and find her own way to be heard. It’s all about taking control and owning your voice, and she’s finally doing that!

Get ready to return to the glamorous world of Bridgerton! Keep reading for juicy secrets and delightful surprises.

In season two, there’s a scene where the cast plays Pall Mall, an early form of croquet. They were encouraged to learn how to play beforehand, but Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict Bridgerton, got a little too enthusiastic and accidentally broke two of the mallets while filming!

Okay, so everyone is amazing, obviously, but I just found out that Charithra Chandran – our queen Edwina Sharma! – actually grew up playing croquet! Seriously?! It makes SO much sense now, she’s so graceful in those scenes, it’s not acting, it’s life! I knew she was perfect for the role, and this just confirms it. I’m completely obsessed.

I used to play a lot of croquet, both at boarding school and university, so I was already quite familiar with the game. Pall Mall is similar, and we received the rules in advance. There were always people on set explaining things, but a lot of it was planned. Sometimes they’d just film us having fun, and I think those moments actually made it into some of the scenes – which is great!

Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) sported impressive sideburns in the first season of the show, and viewers definitely noticed! However, sharp-eyed fans were surprised to see they were gone in season two, leading many to wonder what happened.

Apparently, showrunner Chris Van Dusen deliberately included this to highlight Anthony’s development from a carefree socialite into a central character.

Anthony always looks amazing, but some of us are secretly wishing he’d bring back the sideburns! Luckily, we can always rewatch the first season to see them.

On Bridgerton, tea is basically a character in and of itself. 

We initially thought the actors were just drinking water on set, but it turns out they’re enjoying actual tea! Netflix says they typically use “PG Tips or Twinings.” We’ll just assume that’s a type of tea we haven’t heard of.

As for the food, that’s not always real.

The show employs a food economist named Lisa Heathcote – yes, that’s a real job! – who had to find food that could withstand the long hours of filming, especially during the ball scenes. So, a lot of that food isn’t actually safe to eat. But when the actors are filming dinner scenes, they do eat real food. Because scenes often require multiple takes, the food is usually prepared with raw vegetables to make it easier to eat repeatedly. It’s a bit like having a raw veggie tray for dinner!

Every single actor on Bridgerton has their own horse. 

Jonathan Bailey rode a black Spanish Friesian horse called Jack, and Simone Ashley rode a bay Spanish horse named Nirvana.

I was so thrilled to see so many of the horses back for the second season! It was clear they’d really bonded with their riders during the first season, and thankfully, that connection meant a lot of the same beautiful animals returned.

We just hope Regé-Jean Page‘s horse is doing okay.

Created by Shonda Rhimes, the talented producer of hits like Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, Bridgerton is known for its inclusive casting choices. A great example is Golda Rosheuvel, a Guyanese-British actress who portrays Queen Charlotte, a historical figure. PBS reports that some historians believe Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, was likely descended from a Portuguese royal family with African roots.

Makeup and hair designer Marc Pilcher shared with Vogue that discovering Queen Charlotte’s African ancestry greatly inspired the character’s stunning looks. He blended historical hairstyles with elements celebrating her heritage, incorporating styles like locs, braids, and Afro-textured hair. He even designed her elaborate, large Afro to resemble a traditional Gainsborough wig, taking inspiration from Beyoncé’s Foxxy Cleopatra look in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Pilcher told Essence that he was inspired by Beyoncé’s wig in Austin Powers Goldmember. He wanted to create an incredibly large afro, and the final look actually used four or five wigs combined. They used wigs for the curls, purchased separate afros, straightened and re-curled those, and then layered everything together and sewed it all on top of each other to achieve the desired volume and shape.

Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury, explained to New African magazine that men during the Regency era always carried a cane and wore a hat. She wanted Lady Danbury, as a widow, to project a sense of strength and power, reflecting her wealth and influence in a society that limited women’s freedom. That’s why she asked for a hat – she loves hats!

Costume designer Pilcher explained to Vogue that Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) had a very 1950s style. Instead of giving her typical Regency-era hair and makeup, Pilcher drew inspiration from actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Deborah Kerr, blending 1950s glamour with the shapes and styles of the Regency period.

Eloise Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie and Penelope Featherington’s Nicola Coughlan are actually friends off-screen, as revealed by the show’s creator, Chris Van Dusen.

You know, in the writer’s room, we’ve affectionately started calling the Bridgerton fandom ‘PenEloise’ – a nod to Penelope and Eloise, of course! It’s really sweet to see it catching on with the fans online, especially on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. I’ve noticed the hashtag is getting a lot of traction, and it’s wonderful to see everyone embracing it.

He explained that they instantly recognized the two women as Penelope and Eloise Bridgerton, and he believes there’s a unique connection between them.

Throughout the first season, Simon, the Duke of Hastings, always wore a special brooch on his jacket. It was decorated with diamonds and emeralds and had belonged to his mother, who sadly passed away shortly after he was born – a moment shown in a flashback on the show.

Jonathan Bailey, the actor who plays Anthony Bridgerton, revealed that makeup artists had to apply powder to his backside for a nude scene. He explained that after he first dropped his trousers on set, the crew realized they needed to reduce shine, so they called for makeup. It was simply to make his skin look less glossy on camera.

Phoebe Dynevor, the actress who plays Daphne, revealed to Glamour that she wore 93 dresses during filming. She was amazed by the amount of work that went into each one, explaining they were all custom-made and intricately hand-embroidered, with a team of six people dedicated solely to creating Daphne’s wardrobe.

Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick explained to Buzzfeed that Daphne initially favored blue, representing her youthful innocence. As her character developed and she became the Duchess, her color choices shifted. The costume palette became more sophisticated – deeper, richer, and with a slightly muted tone – to reflect her growth and independence as a married woman.

The Netflix series Bridgerton, particularly in season one, episode six, features numerous intimate scenes between Daphne and the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), taking place throughout their home. An intimacy coordinator was present during filming to work with the actors on these nude and sex scenes, ensuring they were carefully planned and choreographed, as explained by showrunner Chris Van Dusen.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always believed in creating a comfortable environment for performers, and that’s exactly what we aimed for on set. We really empowered the cast to take ownership of the scenes and explore them fully. What a lot of people don’t realize is that even though those moments felt natural, they were actually incredibly planned and rehearsed – almost like a dance or an action sequence! We were very specific with the blocking, guiding them with precise movements – ‘hand here, leg there’ – to ensure everything flowed seamlessly.

Dynevor shared with TopMob News that she’s very proud of those scenes, explaining that a lot of effort went into making them feel authentic. She emphasized her safety throughout the process, noting she felt secure working with Regé and a dedicated intimacy coordinator. They approached the scenes with the same careful planning as complex stunts.

In one intimate scene, Daphne realizes she misunderstood her husband Simon’s feelings about having children and, after learning about how babies are made, confidently initiates intimacy to pursue what she desires. Every visual aspect of this scene was carefully planned, and actress Dynevor actively contributed to how her character was depicted.

Bridgerton’s intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot, explained to Vulture that the show’s creators wanted a clear demonstration of Daphne taking control. Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne, specifically requested to remove her own braids herself. Talbot emphasized this was a powerful moment for the character, referencing the historical significance of hair for women, and that while not directly about sex, it signaled Daphne’s readiness for intimacy.

Daphne and Simon were quite intimate, often finding moments of privacy wherever they could. The filming crew had a unique challenge: making sure the tall actor playing Page, who is around 5’11”, didn’t fall out of the smaller beds used to represent the Regency era!

Talbot, speaking to Vulture, explained that filming the intimate scenes in Bridgerton presented a unique challenge: the beds. Regency-era beds are much smaller than modern ones, and with Rege-Jean Page’s height, it was difficult to fit two people comfortably. The crew had to be very careful during scenes involving movement to prevent the actors from accidentally falling off the bed.

She added, “That was a real issue! On nearly every bed that we had.”

The emotionally powerful party scene with the rain, which happened at the Hastings’ courtyard, wasn’t filmed outside. It was actually shot inside a studio, giving the filmmakers complete control over the water – they could adjust how much fell, keep the temperature comfortable, and ensure it drained away without flooding the set.

The set included a large tank beneath the studio floor to catch the rainwater. You can’t simply simulate rain indoors without a collection system! It required a complex network of pipes and equipment. As set director Gina Cromwell explained to Buzzfeed, her focus was on the visual details – ensuring there were always flowers, food, and other beautiful elements. The goal was to create the illusion of an outdoor set, and hopefully, the audience believed it was real.

Daphne’s rival, Cressida (played by Jessica Madsen), was inspired by the character of Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie. According to the show’s makeup and hair designer, Marc Pilcher, who spoke with Vogue, Cressida was designed to look beautiful outwardly but be unkind underneath.

In the series Bridgerton, Marina Thompson (played by Ruby Barker) shows up at the Featherington estate while secretly expecting a baby. She’s often seen wearing a pendant known as a “lover’s eye.”

Costume designer John Glaser explained that the character subtly reveals she has a secret lover. Traditionally, characters would have small portraits of people known to everyone, but wouldn’t put them on display. This character, however, has a single portrait – an ‘eye’ – indicating she’s the only one who knows the identity of her beloved.

The first season ended with the big reveal of who was writing the gossip newsletter as Lady Whistledown.

Filming was a blast,” Coughlan shared with Variety. “It was during the height of COVID, so I had to be incredibly discreet. I flew in from Ireland and underwent constant testing and fittings. The whole thing was top secret – I couldn’t tell anyone I was there or what I was doing. But despite all the precautions, it was a really fun experience.

Golda Rosheuvel, in a recent interview with TopMob News, revealed a subtle connection between seasons one and two of Bridgerton. When naming Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) as the season’s diamond, Queen Charlotte lifted her chin in the same way she did for Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) in the first season—a deliberate echo of a previous moment.

She explained that it was a simple physical gesture – lifting her chin – that reminded her of Daphne, as she had done the exact same thing herself.

Per the actress, this small gesture helped her see “how it all connected.”

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2026-04-30 21:18