‘Bridgerton’ Star Nicola Coughlan Teases Steamy New Romance for Season 3

Netflix’s hit Regency-era drama Bridgerton is known for its steamy romances, but the upcoming third season may prove to be the steamiest season yet. Straying away from the book order, Bridgerton Season 3 is set to move forward to the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and explore the relationship between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, a romance that has been building since Season 1.

Teasing the upcoming season in a recent interview with Variety, Nicola Coughlan, who stars as Penelope, will turn up the heat. Asked whether the upcoming batch of episodes will match the steamy escapades of Daphne and Simon in Season 1 or be more akin to the slow burn romance between Kate and Anthony, Coughlan revealed, “I think, because we’ve had two seasons of build up, it’s probably going to be the former.” Although the actress admitted she hasn’t yet read the scripts, she did say that she’s “been given an overview” of the season.

Coughlan isn’t the only one who thinks Penelope and Colin’s romance, adorably dubbed Polin by fans, could once again turn up the heat. Speaking to Variety in May just after Netflix announced Season 3 would focus on the Polin romance, Bridgerton’s new showrunner Jess Brownell teased that their romance would be a balance between “sexiness and romance.”

“I think of Colin and Pen as being characters who bring a lot of comedy to the show. So I think we’re gonna get to play a lot of that this season. But I want to balance that out with quite a bit of sexiness and romance,” Brownwell revealed. “I think that’s so important to the show. We’ll get the chance to go deeper with them and push them to more serious sides and see what that looks like, so you’ll be seeing new levels.”

Fans were first introduced to Penelope and Colin in Bridgerton‘s record-making debut season. The pair was originally introduced as close friends, though the series has long hinted that their relationship could grow into something more. When Netflix confirmed their relationship would be the focus of Season 3, Luke Newton, who stars as Colin, shared that “there’s so much love for that relationship.” However, their relationship appeared up in the air by the end of Season 2, when, in a conversation taken directly from the books, Penelope overheard Colin talking to his friends in the garden. When one suggested Penelope as a possible romantic interest for him, he said he’d “never dream of courting” Pen. 

Along with Coughlan and Newton reprising their roles as Penelope and Colin, it is believed that much of the cast from the first two seasons will also return. Meanwhile, Hannah Dodd has been cast as Francesca Bridgerton, a role held by Ruby Stokes throughout the first two seasons. Fans can catch up on the first two seasons of Bridgerton on Netflix. Season 3 does not yet have a premiere date.