What To Know
- Bridgerton‘s fifth season is on the horizon, but could it be the end of Nicola Coughlan’s time on the show? The star gets candid about retiring from Penelope’s role as Lady Whistledown.
- Find out what she knows about the new writer’s secret identity.
Bridgerton‘s fifth season may not arrive for some time, but star Nicola Coughlan is offering a bit of an update on the Lady Whistledown front as Penelope’s recent retirement from the position leaves the new figure shrouded in mystery.
But now that the column is off Penelope’s plate, does that mean fans won’t see Coughlan don her signature red ‘do? Rest assured, the star isn’t leaving anytime soon, but she confirmed her limited role in Season 5, which will chronicle Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela’s (Masali Baduza) love story.
“I feel very lucky,” Coughlan told E! News, adding, “It’s the best of both worlds, because I’m currently filming on Only Murders, but I still get to pop back to Bridgerton now and then and see everybody.” The performer has since wrapped her role on Season 6 of Only Murders in the Building as teased on social media, but Coughlan is happy to take a step back from the spotlight of Bridgerton to let her costars shine.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
“I had such an incredible experience leading that show, that I felt like, ‘Oh god, I’ve done it, this is amazing.’ So, it feels so nice and low pressure,” she added of the minimal screen time she’ll have in Season 5. Echoing fellow Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey‘s sentiments, Coughlan promised, “I’ll always pop back to Bridgerton if they want me. If I can be set dressing, I’ll be there, no problem.”
Meanwhile, her feelings about taking a step back from the Lady Whistledown gig, passing the baton to a mystery individual, were something Coughlan admitted is “bittersweet.”
“God, I had such an epic run, you know what I mean?” Coughlan mused, adding, “I think that’s part of the beauty of that world is that it sort of keeps reinventing itself. Every season being a new story, it kind of just takes on a different guise.” While it’s nice to have some free time to take on extra projects, Coughlan reiterated, “I’m still the OG, guys…”
As for whether she knows who the new Lady Whistledown is or not, Coughlan revealed, “No, and they’re right not to tell me cause I’m really bad at keeping secrets.” Coughlan pointed out that she wasn’t the best secret keeper the first time around, as she told the set it was her behind the pen in Season 1. “I genuinely have no clue, and it’s quite nice not to know; I don’t need to know.”
Stay tuned for details on Coughlan’s return as Penelope and the identity of the new Lady Whistledown as we approach Bridgerton Season 5’s premiere, and let us know what you think of Coughlan’s promise to return to the series in future seasons in the comments section below.
Bridgerton, Season 5 Premiere, 2027, Netflix