Who is Bridgerton's Hannah Dodd? Meet Ruby Stokes's Francesca replacement

This season, we follow Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), as the duo’s hotly anticipated friends-to-lovers journey begins.

However, it seems as though love might be on the cards for another character very soon – the third Bridgerton daughter, Francesca – though perhaps in an unexpected way.

Fans of the original Bridgerton novels will know that book-Francesca Bridgerton falls in love with Michael Stirling after her first husband John passes away.

However, it appears that in the show, the character of Michael Bridgerton has been replaced with a female character – Michaela (played by Masali Baduza) – who made an appearance in the season 3 finale.

So is love on the way for Michaela and Francesca? It very well could be! (Though we will have to wait until 2026 to find out...)

Sharp-eyed Bridgerton fans may have noticed that Francesca looks a little different this season, with Hannah Dodd, of Enola Holmes 2, Harlots and Anatomy of a Scandal fame, taking over the role from original star Ruby Stokes.

Read on for everything you need to know about Hannah Dodd.

Who is Bridgerton's Hannah Dodd?

Hannah Dodd is an English actress and model, having initially started out in her career in modelling and training as a dancer.

Born in Colchester, Dodd trained at the London Studio Centre and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Dance in 2017. In her time as a model, Dodd was signed to Select Model Management at the age of 16 and used the money she was paid from it to pay for her dance training.

In her modelling career, Dodd modelled for brands such as Primark, Topshop and Burberry, a 2014 campaign she did alongside Romeo Beckham.

Dodd was announced to join the Bridgerton cast as Francesca in 2022, taking over the role from Ruby Stokes who left the period drama to lead another Netflix production, Lockwood & Co.

How old is Bridgerton's Hannah Dodd?

Dodd is 29 years old.

She was born on 17th May 1995.

What has Bridgerton's Hannah Dodd previously starred in?

Straight out of drama school, Dodd went on to play one of the series leads in Find Me in Paris as Dorothea "Thea" Raphael, a role she held for three seasons of the teen sci-fi series. She then went on to star in Harlots in a recurring role as Sophia.

In 2021, Dodd went on to star in Marvel's Eternals and then in 2022, starred in Netflix's Anatomy of a Scandal as a younger version of Sienna Miller's character, Sophie Whitehouse. Dodd then went on to have a leading role in TV series Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, an adaptation of the popular gothic novel.

In 2022, Dodd also starred opposite Millie Bobby Brown in Enola Holmes 2 in a supporting lead role as Sarah Chapman/Cicely.

Speaking of her time on the Netflix hit, she revealed to The Italian Rêve: "The experience was so fun, I’ve been a massive fan of Harry [Bradbeer]’s for a really long time, so just getting to meet him in the audition was an achievement, as well as getting to work with him.

"The story is so good and I really enjoyed learning about it, I’m so grateful for that job."

What has Hannah Dodd said about joining Bridgerton?

Speaking about joining Bridgerton as one of the siblings in the close-knit family, Dodd has said: "It’s quite a weird feeling walking in and around the sets, and seeing everybody in their characters, but it’s been very exciting!

"Everyone’s been so welcoming and supportive, and we genuinely are a family on and off set, which I was quite nervous to try and step into. I didn’t know how they would feel about a new person stepping in, but they have all been so lovely and so supportive — especially Mama Ruth! She’s looked after me, but they all have, too. Claudia Jessie has really taken me under her wing, and the boys, I love them all."

Speaking about what stood out to her in the role of Francesca, Dodd also said: "The pull was that it’s Bridgerton, and I’ve loved the show. And once I got cast, I read Francesca’s book and just loved that it was slightly different to the other siblings’ books, and the things that she goes through are tough.

"I just needed to get to know her a little bit, and a lot of what we’re exploring this season happens before her story. Hopefully people can relate to her in a slightly different way from how they do with the other siblings."

Fans of the books will know that Francesca goes on quite the journey in her own story but in the new season of Bridgerton, Francesca is quite different from the rest of her siblings. Talking about what we can expect of Francesca in season 3, Dodd says: "She is a little bit different from her siblings, so how she responds to the marriage mart and what she’s looking for in a marriage might differ from some of the others.

"Francesca is slightly more introverted than her siblings, so she finds big events and meeting new people quite intimidating — but she’s quite confident with her family. She’s not after a dramatic love story, she’s really looking for a companion. And she understands that marriage is part of her life, marriage is what is expected of her, but I don’t think she romanticises the idea as much as her siblings.

"She’s very happy playing her music, reading a book, and enjoying the quieter side of life. It’s going to be a different experience watching her go through it. She does have the opportunity to meet lots of different people, but there’s one who is slightly different. We might meet a few familiar faces along the way."

Speaking about her character's romance with Lord John Stirling, she recently told Town & Country Magazine: "Me and Victor really wanted to get their dynamic right, because we didn't want it to seem like they're not interested in each other.

She added that their relationship is "as if they've been married for 80 years and they're sat in their sofas and just the company of each other is what means the world to them".

Speaking about how her character isn't overly concerned with romance, she added: "She's not romanticised over the idea. It's not something that she's grown up dreaming about what her husband will look like. The idea of marriage is something that she knows it's her turn.

"She always knew this day was coming. I don't think she ever wants to be the center of attention, so she feels quite uncomfortable with it being all eyes on her."

Is Hannah Dodd on Instagram?

She is! You can find her on @hannahfkdodd.

Recently, Dodd has been posting snaps of the Bridgerton press tour, some behind-the-scenes interviews and pictures from some of her previous productions.

Is Hannah Dodd on Twitter/X?

She is! You can find her on X, formerly known as Twitter, on @hannahfkdodd.

The account is protected, though, so only approved followers will be able to see her posts.

Bridgerton season 3 is now available to stream on Netflix. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.

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