Nicola Coughlan revealed she’s taking a step back from her role as Penelope Featherington in the forthcoming fifth season of “Bridgerton.”
“It’s bittersweet,” the actress, 39, told E! News in an interview published Tuesday.
“I feel like, God, I had such an epic run,” she continued. “I think that’s part of the beauty of that world is it keeps reinventing itself. Every season being a new story — it takes on a different guise.”
Coughlan’s character was also the original Lady Whistledown, the secret author behind Regency London’s gossip pamphlet.
Under the pen name, Featherington anonymously wrote about the ongoing events and secret affairs throughout the town.
Featherington’s identity was later revealed in society amid her romance with Colin Bridgerton — portrayed by Luke Newton — at the end of Season 3 of the Netflix drama.
Viewers watched as Featherington struggled with the loss of anonymity and being unable to write unbiased columns about people’s lives throughout Season 4.
Additionally, she came face to face with the consequences of her gossip. Ultimately, she decided to retire as Lady Whistledown to settle into her marriage with Colin and as a mother at the end of the season.
However, to viewers’ shock, a new imposter introduced themselves, though their identity has yet to be revealed.
Coughlan is blissfully unaware of who the new writer is, admitting to E! News that she was “really bad at keeping secrets.”
“I told everyone and said I was her,” she said. “So they know not to tell me. But I genuinely have no clue and it’s quite nice not to know. I don’t need to know.”
The “Derry Girls” alum has yet to be told how many episodes she will be featured in on the upcoming season, set for release in 2027.
“I’ll always pop back to ‘Bridgerton’ if they want me,” she said. “If I can be set dressing, I’ll be there. No problem.”
Lady Francesca Stirling, portrayed by Hannah Dodd, and Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza, will lead the upcoming season as “Bridgerton’s first same-gender central love story,” per Tudum by Netflix.
The duo was brought together by the death of Francesca’s husband and Michaela’s relative, Lord John Stirling, during Season 4.
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