'Bridgerton' Fans Say They Knew Lady Whistledown's Secret Identity All Along
Bridgerton has earned tons of fans ever since it dropped on Netflix on Dec. 25. The period drama, which is pretty much always trending, follows the love lives and scandals of a slew of must-watch characters in Regency London society, all adorned in plenty of gorgeous period costumes, of course.
As you probably know, the series features an anonymous gossip columnist who goes by the name of Lady Whistledown and spills scandalous tea on the reg. Think of her like Gossip Girl, just from the Regency era.
And, just like GG, everyone in the show (and IRL) wants to know the real identity of Lady Whistledown. People have been obsessing over it on Twitter, with some being all smug about knowing who is behind all the gossip, while others are still trying to figure it all out. "I’m on episode three of Bridgerton and I’m CONVINCED I know who lady Whistledown is," one fan wrote. "I knew who Lady Whistledown was lmaoo," another said.
Well, pull up a footstool, because—spoiler alert—the mega-gossiper was revealed at the end of season one. Here’s all the dirt you need to know.
Who is Lady Whistledown, exactly?
Bridgerton could have kept fans guessing about the identity of Lady Whistledown throughout the series, but apparently producers decided that one season was long enough. At the very end of episode eight, the gossip’s identity was revealed: She’s Penelope Featherington.
It all unfolded during a carriage ride in the final scene. You can see a hooded woman in the carriage while the voice of Julie Andrews (who narrates as Lady Whistledown throughout the season) says, "Perhaps I will come forward one day. Though, you must know, dear reader, that decision shall be left entirely up to me. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown." Suddenly, Penelope is revealed as the woman beneath the hood, and she’s wearing a telling grin.
It’s kinda shockingly perfect, given that Penelope is shy and that she seemingly kept trying to figure out the identity of Lady Whistledown alongside her bestie Eloise Bridgerton all season. Also, her own family was targeted by Lady Whistledown plenty of times. Smart move, Pen.
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, told Town & Country that the director purposefully put her in the background of certain key moments that Lady Whistledown writes about. "There'd be certain things where the director would say, 'We want to stand you here and do this.' And I'd think, 'I can't, because in my column, I write that they meet at this point,'" she said. "So, if you went back, you'll spot me in a couple of scenes like 'Where's Waldo.'"
Okay, but why was Lady Whistledown’s identity revealed now?
Apparently, series creator Chris Van Dusen thought it made the most sense for both old fans of the book series and new fans of the show. "For me, it felt like it was time," he told Decider. "I think that there were always two tracks for us in the writers' room, when looking at Lady Whistledown. We knew that there was a portion of the audience that had read the books and had their thoughts and theories about who Lady Whistledown was. Then, there was an entirely new group of people that are not as familiar with the books, and have no idea where the story of Lady Whistledown went."
Van Dusen said that it was "about keeping the mystery alive and fun for fans of the books, but also, never being ahead of it. Never telegraphing where we’re going."
Is it time for season two yet?
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