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'Bridgerton' Season 3 to Focus on Colin and Penelope's 'Budding Relationship'

The third season of the popular Netflix show will deviate from the order of the books.

Meara Isenberg Writer
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as for state and local magazines. When she's not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies.
Meara Isenberg
2 min read
bridgerton-season-2-penelope-1

Nicola Coughlan plays Penelope Featherington.

Netflix

A sizzling scoop about season 3 of Bridgerton has been revealed by Lady Whistledown herself. 

The third season of Netflix's smash-hit show will focus on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington's love story, Nicola Coughlan, who portrays Penelope and the elusive Lady Whistledown, said Sunday.

Coughlan first announced the news Sunday during Netflix's FYSEE event, which showcases the streamer's Emmy contenders. The actress followed up with a black-and-white Instagram post of herself and actor Luke Newton, who plays Colin.

"Like Lady Whistledown I've been keeping quite a big secret for quite a long time... but I can finally tell you that @bridgertonnetflix Season Three is Colin and Penelope's Story," Coughlan said in her post.

Netflix followed with a tweet Monday that featured a note from Lady Whistledown.

"This author can confirm that the upcoming season shall follow none other than the budding relationship between Mr. Colin Bridgerton and one Miss Penelope Featherington," the note reads in part.

The Netflix show adapts the Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn. The first two seasons followed the order of the books, beginning with Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon's (Regé-Page Jean) romance in season 1, followed by Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathon Bailey) and Kate's (Simone Ashley) in season 2. 

Season 3 will jump to the fourth book, which centers on Colin and Penelope, skipping (for now, at least) the subject of the third book, second-eldest Bridgerton sibling Benedict. 

Bridgerton's first and second seasons are the most watched shows on Netflix behind Squid Game, with season 2 inching out above season 1. The release date for Bridgerton's third season is still unknown, but production is set to start this summer.