‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 gets disappointing update as star teases Penelope's future post Whistledown drama
The ton may look a little different next time around. As ‘Bridgerton’ gears up for Season 5, a familiar voice in Mayfair may not be heard as often. Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Bridgerton, the former sharp-tongued Lady Whistledown, recently shared an update fans may not be too pleased with. After stepping into the spotlight as the leading lady in Season 3, her role is set to change again. It’s been confirmed that her presence will be limited as the series moves forward. Coughlan opened up about her involvement during an appearance on the Dish Podcast. “Season 5 had started filming already, so I won't be in it very much,” she revealed on the April 29 episode. “I'm always happy to come back. I think it's a genuinely lovely job to come back to.”
This change lines up with how the series has always been structured. Each season spotlights a different Bridgerton sibling, and this time, the focus is on Francesca Bridgerton. Played by Hannah Dodd, Francesca’s journey is expected to take a romantic turn involving Michaela Stirling, portrayed by Masali Baduza. For Coughlan, the limited screen time seems to come with a lighter schedule, and she sounds perfectly okay with that. She joked about her current routine, saying, “I have it so good now 'cause I come in for a few days, and I'm like, ‘Yay! How is everyone? I'll see you in two months. Bye!’ They're working super super hard, and I'm just like coming back. It's lovely.” However, even with her reduced presence, Penelope’s past choices will continue to impact the story.
By the end of Season 4, she had stepped away from her secret identity as Lady Whistledown, leaving behind the scandal sheet. That decision created a noticeable gap in the world of the show. After all, Whistledown was the spark behind many of the show’s most talked-about moments. But the silence didn’t last long. In a twist that caught viewers off guard, a new column appeared in the Season 4 finale, written by someone whose identity remains unknown. That surprise raised more than a few eyebrows. Showrunner Jess Brownell clarified that this decision isn’t just about replacing one voice with another. Speaking to Tudum earlier this year, she explained, “Starting with Genevieve, the modiste in Season 1, to Penelope as Lady Whistledown, and now looking at Sophie as a maid.” Brownell added, “It's really key for us to explore the lives of these women who do work, because it's a time period in which women had so few options and so little agency.”
As for Penelope, her journey seems to have reached a quieter phase. Having found love and stepped into married life, she is no longer the same person who once hid behind a pseudonym to make her voice heard. Moreover, with filming already underway for Season 5, there’s still plenty that remains under wraps. An official release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, though expectations point toward a debut sometime in late 2027 or early 2028 on Netflix.
