Bridgerton season 3: Release date, trailers and latest news

The pair are taking the lead of the series this time around, and it's quite the nerve-wracking experience, they revealed exclusively to RadioTimes.com.

Coughlan told us: "It’s scary, it’s so intimidating because you can’t but know how huge this show is and how beloved it is with the fans.

"But I think it was a massive privilege for us to have built these characters for two seasons, and also to come back and to be given brilliant scripts like we were given this season, with so much for us to do.

"To explore within our characters the dynamic between the characters, all of that, it’s intimidating, but more so exciting."

The leading duo are also this week's Radio Times cover stars, and teased what viewers can expect from Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton's highly anticipated friends-to-lovers journey.

In fact, if you have been keeping up with Bridgerton news and watched the trailer (below), you'll have noticed the pair have been given quite the transformation ahead of their debut as leads on Netflix's hit adaptation of Julia Quinn novels.

And while the characters do look different, their makeovers are only part of their journey, as Coughlan told RadioTimes.com during a recent chat.

"I think the fun thing as well about their transformation is they both have this aesthetic transformation at the beginning, but then you realise they’re still the same Colin and Pen underneath, and the actual work needs to happen gradually," she said.

"They grow themselves individually but also together, which is really, really beautiful.”

It's been quite a long stint of time between seasons 2 and 3 of Bridgerton, with Shonda Rhimes revealing to Variety that it's down to the way that Netflix productions are made. She said: "They want to write everything, and then they want to shoot everything, which is... it’s very counterintuitive to the way I learned to make television."

Of course, the Netflix series is based on the Julia Quinn novels, and fans of Romancing Mr Bridgerton will be glad to know that some of the book's key scenes were very much discussed by the creative team.

Showrunner Jess Brownell recently told RadioTimes.com: "It’s hard to talk about that without giving spoilers away, but I’ll just say, the key scenes that fans are talking about constantly, there’s a reason they’re talking about them. And we were talking about those scenes in the writers' room, as well. We’re very keen to see them portrayed on screen."

Images recently released by Netflix suggest Francesca Bridgerton might have a bigger role to play this time around. The character was previously played by Ruby Stokes, but Hannah Dodd has taken over this season.

Unfortunately, one member of the clan won't be back, with Phoebe Dynevor previously confirming her exit, though she did say she's not ruling out a reprisal of her character Daphne in a future season.

As for season 2 leads Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley), they are definitely back and enjoying newlywed life.

Newton himself even admitted that he took inspiration from Bailey going into lead season 3, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "I watched Johnny like a hawk in season 2 and how he just sort of conducted himself so graciously uncertain, and tried to take elements of that and also keep it true to myself, and you know, just focus on the character, really."

Want to know all the details? Read on for everything we know so far about Bridgerton season 3, including when it's expected to come to Netflix.

Bridgerton season 3 release date: When is it coming out on Netflix?

The third instalment will be released in two parts, with the first four episodes making up part 1 landing on Netflix on Thursday 16th May 2024.

To celebrate the release date news, Netflix also unveiled an announcement video hyping up how hotly-anticipated the next instalment is. Watch below:

The other good news is that Bridgerton isn't just coming back for season 3, but for season 4 as well!

Netflix shared the good news back in April 2021 in a tweet, writing: "BREAKING NEWS FROM THE TON. Bridgerton is returning for seasons three *AND* four!"

The show's creator Chris Van Dusen won't be returning to Bridgerton as showrunner for the upcoming seasons, with the screenwriter handing over the reins to Jess Brownell for season 3.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press about him stepping down as showrunner, Van Dusen said: "Bridgerton will always have a special place in my heart and I think I did what I set out to do.

"But at the end of the day, you know, it was time for me to move on, and hopefully create that magic again in the near future."

Lady Danbury actress Adjoa Andoh heaped praise on both writers when talking with RadioTimes.com, saying: "So Jess, who's taking over for Chris, is amazing. She, like Chris, has been with Shondaland for a good amount of her writing career, so she absolutely knows how to put a story together, she knows how to make a fabulous structure work in the Shondaland style, so I have no worries about that."

When is Bridgerton season 3 part 2 being released on Netflix?

The second batch of four episodes will be released on Thursday 13th June.

The two-part release date follows the Netflix release model adopted by The Witcher and Stranger Things.

Who stars in the show?

The full cast list for Bridgerton season 3 has already been confirmed.

The focus of season 3 is very much on the love story between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), but "a strong new suitor" will be trying to win over Coughlan’s Penelope, with Lord Debling (Sam Phillips) being a new character for the third season.

As for the rest of the cast, Hannah Dodd (Enola Holmes, Anatomy of a Scandal) will be taking over Ruby Stokes's role as Francesca Bridgerton. Dodd told TVLine in an interview that she was "so excited" to be taking on the role, and that in preparation she read six of Quinn's novels, starting with Francesca’s story.

She said: "I didn’t know what I’d got myself in for, but I needed to read that as soon as possible. It’s such a beautiful book and she’s such a beautiful character. I can’t really believe that I get to play her."

Despite presumably taking more of a backseat season 3, Jonathan Bailey will be returning as Anthony Bridgerton for the third instalment alongside Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press ahead of season 2, Bailey and Simone Ashley spoke about whether they would return for a third season, with Bailey saying: "We'll have to wait and see if we're invited."

Ashley added: "If I were to return for season 3, I would love to continue Kate and Anthony's love story and see them play post-marriage and enjoy that honeymoon romance that they deserve. And a lot more horse-riding."

Meanwhile, Charithra Chandran, who plays Kate's sister Edwina, will not be returning for season 3.

The actress previously revealed her hopes for Edwina’s future on the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "I obviously do want Edwina to find love, but I think there is a far more important story to be told first — and then love can happen — which is one of self-discovery."

She continued: "I hope, at least in the short term, there’s a lot of excitement and adventure for Edwina."

One cast member who won't be returning is Phoebe Dynevor, as the actor recently confirmed her departure ahead of the third season of the show.

Asked if she makes an appearance in Bridgerton season 3, Dynevor explained to Screen Rant during January’s Sundance Film Festival: "Sadly not in season 3. Potentially in the future."

She continued: "But season 3, I'm just excited to watch as a viewer."

Dynevor’s character Daphne was the focus of season 1 as she embarked on a romance with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (played by Regé-Jean Page), but her role became smaller in season 2 as the focus shifted onto a new Bridgerton sibling: eldest brother and dashing bachelor Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and his new love interest Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

What will Bridgerton season 3 be about?

The new season of Bridgerton will focus on the budding relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, with the series putting the pair majorly in the limelight. The third season deviates from the book order slightly and will not be based on the third book of Quinn’s Bridgerton series, An Offer from a Gentleman.

Instead, the hit Regency romance will skip to the fourth book, Romancing Mr Bridgerton, which explores Colin and Penelope’s love story.

But as Penelope also leads a double life as Lady Whistledown, will she be able to keep her alter ego a secret or will her new romance come to threaten her place in the Ton?

The official synopsis for season 3 has now been revealed and reads: "Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters.

"But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season.

"But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret."

Another synopsis was revealed via a Bridgerton gift box shared by Meghan O'Keefe on Twitter. Read the full Bridgerton season 3 synopsis below:

"From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season.

"She has, however, decided it's time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope's attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger."

It continued: "But he's disheartened to realise that Penelope. the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season.

"But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope's growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret."

Talking about what fans can expect in season 3, Coughlan recently told Netflix Tudum: "I feel like if you see Penelope fawning over this boy for another season, you’ll be like, 'Get it together! Come on, move on and get over it'. Jess has talked to Luke and I through the season, and I think people are going to be really obsessed. I think book fans are going to be happy."

Cast member Ashley Simone previously told E! News that the next instalment will “get super steamy”.

Speaking to the publication, she said fans can expect “condensation central”, teasing: “I'm very happy when I'm reading the scripts. When I receive them, I've got a beaming smile on my face."

Referencing the romance between Colin and Penelope, she added: “It's Polin, love and new beginnings.”

In addition, the next season is also likely to explore the repercussions of Eloise discovering Penelope is Lady Whistledown in season 2, as well as telling us whether the Featheringtons recover their financial position after cousin Jack turned out to be a fraudster.

What's more, as detailed above, Anthony and Kate are set to return for the third instalment, but what exactly is going to unfold between the pair remains to be seen.

Bridgerton season 3 episode titles

The episode titles for Bridgerton season 3 have now also been revealed! They are as follows:

• Episode 1 - Out of the Shadows
• Episode 2 - How Bright the Moon
• Episode 3 - Forces of Nature
• Episode 4 - Old Friends
• Episode 5 - Tick Tock
• Episode 6 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton
• Episode 7 - Joining of Hands
• Episode 8 - Into the Light

Is there a trailer for Bridgerton season 3?

Yes! At long last, we finally have the official trailer for the third season of Bridgerton, which you can view at the beginning of this article.

The news of the trailer's release was teased just the day before, with a sneak peek at the main cast on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The trailer comes after a slew of clips and teasers for the new season, with the Valentine's Day scene providing a look into a fan favourite moment between Colin and Penelope.

Fans of the books will know all too well about the scene in which Penelope wraps Colin's hand after he accidentally cuts it.

In addition, earlier this year, the streamer offered something for fans in the shape of a peek behind the scenes, with Newton and Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton) attempting to paint a portrait of their characters while answering questions about them.

Season 3 leading actress Coughlan also makes an appearance and doesn't turn up empty-handed. She revealed season 3's first episode was called Out of the Shadows, and proceeded to read the first page, which foreshadows plenty of change for Penelope.

"The crop this year appears to be rather dazzling, indeed. Unfortunately, not every young lady can attract the light," she teased. You can watch it in full below:

We also now have an official clip of season 3, in which we see Penelope confront Colin over his previous actions - and boy, is it tense.

You can watch that scene below.

Bridgerton season 3 part 1 premieres on Thursday 16th May 2024, part 2 will then be released on Thursday 13th June. Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.

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