Attention, Bridgerton fans! LGBTQIA+ led love stories are finally coming to the series.
Since 2020, viewers worldwide have been captivated by the Netflix drama due to its romantic storylines, scandalous twists, and glamorous Regency-Era backdrop.
The show has also received widespread acclaim from critics, with many lauding the series for its diversity and incredible performances from its talented cast.
However, alongside the show’s positive praises, queer fans have criticised the series for its lack of LGBTQIA+ representation.
Before the first season premiered, a trailer highlighted a gay sex scene between two characters, but ultimately this storyline was side-lined.
While a queer love story was featured in the hit Queen Charlotte spinoff, fans have called on the Bridgerton writers to add more LGBTQIA+ representation into the mainline show.
Fortunately, the series’ new showrunner, Jess Brownell shares the same sentiment.
In a recent interview with PRIDE, she revealed that the introduction of queer-led stories in the Bridgerton universe is a major priority for her.
“This is a show about love in its many forms, and I think that it’s only right for us to foreground queer love and to tell queer stories,” she told the news outlet.
“I want to see more queer joy on my screens, and that was definitely a priority for me when I stepped into the showrunner role.”
While Brownell refrained from sharing further details, she expressed her excitement for fans to see the upcoming LGBTQIA+ love stories play out.
Brownell isn’t the only one eager for Bridgerton to feature queer representation.
In a separate interview with PRIDE, Nicola Coughlan, who plays season three lead Penelope Featherington, exclaimed that she’s “desperate” for LGBTQIA+ stories to take place in the show.
“I cannot wait. I think it will be so beautiful. The wonderful thing about Bridgerton is it’s an invented world that has never existed,” she added.
“So I think there’s so much space there for queer love stories, and I think all love stories deserve to be celebrated.”
Jonathan Bailey, who plays the hunky Lord Anthony Bridgerton, told Bustle in December 2023 that he has “absolutely no doubt” that everyone will be represented in the story at some point.
“I’m always hopeful for inclusion in that way. There’s so much that Bridgerton has achieved in storytelling,” he added.
Even the author of the Bridgerton book series, Julia Quinn, embraced the idea of a queer protagonist being featured in the series.
“I love it. There is a gay character, Henry Granville [in the books], but secondary. It would be great if there were a protagonist,” she told Cosmopolitan Spain in January 2023.
While the wait for a gay-led season continues, some fans have already speculated that the second-eldest Bridgerton sibling, Benedict (Luke Thompson), may be queer.
Netflix
When discussing the discourse ahead of season two’s release, Thompson told Entertainment Weekly: “Benedict has such a lovely openness and fluidity about him generally, and that’s really, really fun to play because it could go anywhere.
“Obviously, there’s a way to go, so we’ll see what happens with Benedict, but we’re only on season 2, so there’s lots of space for him to explore all sorts of things.”
The first part of Bridgerton season three is set to premiere on 16 May.
This time around, the budding romance between Penelope (Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) will take center stage.
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