'Bridgerton' Fans, Nicola Coughlan Just Revealed a Major Season 3 Spoiler

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Esteemed readers, this author comes bearing positively splendid news. Take note of these familiar faces returning to the Ton — what's more, the diamond in the rough may, after all, be the diamond of Bridgerton season 3.

The Netflix original series, produced by Grey's Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes, follows the Bridgerton family as they navigate London's high society and embroil themselves in scandal under the watchful eye of the mysterious gossip columnist known as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). To much fanfare, Shonda's production company Shondaland confirmed both Bridgerton season 3 and 4, plus a prequel underway.

Since the series is based on best-selling romance author Julia Quinn's eight-novel Bridgerton series, fans of the books already know the nitty-gritty details of the Bridgerton family chronicles. That said, next season's on-screen love story will look much different than expected as showrunners skip ahead to another Bridgerton sibling's love story with fan-favorite couples also reappearing.

Here's everything we know about Bridgerton season 3, including the release date, cast, spoilers and how to watch:

When does season 3 of Bridgerton come out on Netflix?

We're still waiting on news from Lady Whistledown regarding the Bridgerton season 3 release date — but we do know that it's well on its way.

In lieu of an official Bridgerton season 3 trailer, Netflix posted a video that revealed a slew of returning cast mates who teased a cheeky sneak peek inside filming. The clip starts with Jonathan Bailey holding up two fingers on set, then quickly flipping it to three in a sweet nod to this Kate and Anthony moment.

Without further ado, the video ends with next season's pairing as Colin Bridgerton's Luke Newton opens the carriage to reveal Penelope Featherington's Nicola Coughlan who announces, "Bridgerton season 3 filming has officially begun." She asks, "You coming in?" as Luke responds, "Let's go."

Who is the new Bridgerton season 3 about?

The table's turning on Lady Whistledown ... Next season skips ahead to the budding romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, which is explored in book four titled Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Hint, hint: It's a friends-to-lovers arc.

“Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time, and I can confirm to you all that season 3 is Colin and Penelope’s love story,” Nicola revealed on May 15 at Netflix’s FYSEE Space. “I have kept that secret since two weeks into season 2. This is the first time I am saying it here.”

Though the show has traditionally followed the order of the books, Bridgerton showrunners gravitated toward giving Penelope and Colin the spotlight next.

“I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them," Jess Brownell told Variety. "Colin walks up to the line of almost realizing that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there. Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up.”

It's a hop and skip away from what fans thought the original focus would be for the third season of Bridgerton as the next book in the series is An Offer From a Gentleman, which explores second eldest brother Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson)'s romance with Sophie Beckett. But don't fret Benedict stans.

"Even though we’re reversing the order of the books, I think all the people you would expect to see — Benedict, who is book three, he will be a vital part of season 3," Jess spilled to Variety.

What is season 3 of Bridgerton about?

The Bridgerton season 2 finale left Penelope crushed. ICYMI: Colin said he'd "never dream of courting" her (ouch). Season 3 reportedly kicks off with Penelope yielding her unrequited love for Colin by finally deciding to take a husband (who'll also allow her the independence to continue her work as Lady Whistledown). Colin returns from his summer travels with a serious glow up only to realize he's losing his longtime friend.

In a bid to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a suitor. But when his lessons start working a little too well, it's a reality check for Colin to face whether or not his feelings for Penelope are truly just platonic. Meanwhile, Penelope also struggles to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret amid her growing popularity in the Ton.

When asked by his on-screen little sister, Claudia Jessie, why Colin can't see Penelope as his true match, Luke said, "Because they met when they were so young, in the cutest way possible. When I was reading the book, I'd say it's such a lovely story." What's more, the actor added on a fact that has frustrated fans: "A lot's going on. He can't see what's right in front of him."

Of course, what's Bridgerton without a ball? New production photos reveal a purple-themed extravaganza outside Osterley Park, a West London estate. E! News reported Regency-era carriages, white floral arrangements and people dressed to the nines — we can hear the violin pop covers now.

Perhaps, the Duchess of Hastings (Phoebe Dyvenor) aids in finding the diamond of the season by throwing a soiree dripping in her signature color.

Are there any Bridgerton season 3 episode spoilers?

Ahead of Netflix's global fan event TUDUM, Claudia and Luke joined Nicola in answering fans' burning questions, including the first sneak peek of the season. In true Regency fashion, the trio painted portraitures and showed off their masterpieces.

However, perhaps the bigger reveal arrived at timestamp 2:49, when Nicola picks up a paper script for season 3 episode 1, titled "Out of the Shadows." Better yet, she accompanies the news with a reading of the first Lady Whistledown letter of the season.

"Dearest gentle reader, we've been apart for far too long. At last, London's smart set has made its return and so, too, has this author," she said in the clip. "As the season begins, the question on everyone's minds is, of course, which newly minted debutante will shine the brightest? The crop this year appears to be rather dazzling indeed. Unfortunately, not every young lady can attract the light."

Could this confirm Colin and Penelope's suitor lessons?

Who will be in the Bridgerton season 3 cast?

Next chapter ushers in both the new and the old guard. Jonathan, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, and Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma, officially return as the viscount and the new viscountess. Though eagle-eyed fans noticed her absence from the season 3 sneak peek, pay no mind. The actress posted an Instagram Story of herself and the viscount's joined hands, tagging Jonathan and captioning it: "🐝 with Kanthony. S3 x." (See a clip of it below!)

Speaking with IMDB, Simone revealed what she hopes to have her character bring in the next installment. "I'm excited to see Kate become viscountess and head of the household," the Sex Education actress told the outlet. "I think she has much to learn from Anthony. They'll be two little partners, doing it together."

That's not all. First comes love, then comes marriage and so on. "I'd love to see them have a baby, to put it simply," she added. "Maybe that will happen, maybe it won't. But hopefully, it will."

All the returning cast news begs the burning question: "Is the Duke returning to Bridgerton season 3?" Regé-Jean Page, who plays Simon, or the Duke of Hastings, continues to put the rumors to bed despite fans' pleads. Though he's shut the door completely, he told Variety he has no qualms if they recasted his role.

“They’re free to do as they like,” Regé-Jean said at The Gray Man premiere. “Shonda and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of season 1. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.” Sigh.

Expect a similar pattern to continue from season to season. "The books really focus on one romantic pair at a time and maybe the siblings have a little cameo here and there but they don’t have full stories," Jess told Variety. "We feel like those moments when the whole family is together is what really makes the show and makes all of us, I think, want to be a Bridgerton. So yes, you will definitely be seeing Daphne, Anthony and Kate — how much, I don’t want to say quite yet, but you have to tune in."

With that said, we hedge our bets on seeing the usual suspects whose stories aren't tied up just yet:

• Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton

• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton

• Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton

• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury

• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte

Bringing in a fresh batch of suitors, the series welcomes three new characters who may vie for Penelope's attention, including the charismatic Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), the eccentric Lord Debling (Sam Phillips) and the dashing, but dim-witted Harry Dankworth (James Phoon).

Another season 3 twist comes with the recasting of Francesca Bridgerton. Hannah Dodd has been tapped to replace original Bridgerton cast member Ruby Stokes, who made fleeting appearances in seasons 1 and 2. If all goes accordingly, the second youngest Bridgerton daughter is expected to take center stage in a potential sixth season of Bridgerton based on its matching book in Julia's series, When He Was Wicked.

How can I watch and stream Bridgerton season 3 episodes?

Bridgerton season 1 and season 2 are available to stream exclusively on Netflix. You can grab your laptop and watch on the Netflix website. Or if you prefer to see shows on a mobile device, the Netflix app is available on smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles, among other platforms. In the event that you don't have access to the streaming service yet, you can sign up for a Netflix subscription starting at $9.99 per month.

How can I read all the Julia Quinn novels while waiting for Bridgerton season 3?

Watched all of season 2 already? Good news: You don't have to wait another year to find out what happens next. Dive right into all eight of the Bridgerton books now in the below order:

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