“Bridgerton” Season 5 will return to Netflix in 2027. The streamer announced Oct. 26 that filming had wrapped outside London on Francesca and Michaela’s love story. “It’s going to be a season about queer joy. It’s not going to be a season about queer trauma,” showrunner Jess Brownell told Netflix’s Tudum.
Hannah Dodd plays Francesca Stirling, the widowed Countess of Kilmartin, and Masali Baduza plays Michaela Stirling, a cousin of Francesca’s late husband, John (Victor Alli). They met at the end of Season 3. Two seasons later, the actresses will lead “Bridgerton” for eight episodes.
2027 release · Cast and characters · Book vs. show · Official first look · Episodes to revisit
When Does ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 Come Out?
Netflix hasn’t set a premiere date or said whether Season 5 will split in two like Season 4. That season dropped Part 1 on Jan. 29 and Part 2 on Feb. 26, according to Tudum.
“We just completed [season five] now. It’s gone well,” Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict, said on ITV’s “This Morning,” Dork reported Oct. 22. Netflix shared its own wrap announcement on Oct. 26. Variety reported the eight-episode order in March, when filming began in the U.K.
Who’s in the ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 Cast?
Netflix has introduced its two Season 5 leads and three new recurring characters. Six actors from earlier love stories have also discussed returning, or feature in showrunner Jess Brownell’s account of the returning couples. Here’s who each person plays and where you’ve seen them before.
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Stirling
Francesca is Violet’s third daughter and the widowed Countess of Kilmartin. Two years after John’s death, she returns to London prepared to choose a husband on practical grounds. That plan gets harder to keep when Michaela comes home. Dodd, who also appeared in “Enola Holmes 2” and “Find Me in Paris,” took over the role in Season 3.
Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling
John’s cousin comes back to London to look after the Kilmartin estate. Michaela can charm a crowded room, but staying when a conversation gets personal is harder for her. Baduza made her “Bridgerton” entrance in the Season 3 finale. Viewers may also recognize her from “Noughts + Crosses” and “Love and Wine.”
Tega Alexander as Christopher Anderson
Lord Marcus Anderson’s son arrives with his father’s ease in a ballroom and considerably less confidence than he lets on. That family connection links Christopher to Violet’s circle before he even makes an introduction. Alexander’s credits include “The Sandman,” “MobLand” and “Red Eye.”
Jacqueline Boatswain as Helen Stirling
Meet Michaela’s mother. Helen brings the same force of personality her daughter does, along with some firm ideas about navigating a London season. Boatswain played Sarah Mackie in “After the Flood,” appeared in “Carnival Row” and performed in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Pericles.”
Gemma Knight Jones as Lady Elizabeth Ashworth
Elizabeth is the old friend Michaela can turn to when London society starts speaking in code. She understands its unspoken rules and knows when a joke can get someone through an awkward encounter. Knight Jones appeared in “MobLand” and the London-set musical film “Been So Long.”
For the returning couples, Netflix’s character guide traces how each romance began. The stills below show those characters in earlier seasons.
Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
Francesca’s older brother spent Season 4 trying to find the masked woman he met at Violet’s ball. He found Sophie Baek and married her. Season 5 puts Benedict on the other side of a family courtship, as a married brother. Thompson’s other credits include “Transatlantic” and the stage adaptation of “A Little Life.”
Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek
Sophie first saw the Bridgertons’ world from the servants’ side of the door. After the masquerade and her marriage to Benedict, she enters London society alongside him. Before she played the Lady in Silver, Ha appeared in “Halo,” “The Survivors” and “Dune: Prophecy.”
Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
Colin is Francesca’s brother, Penelope’s husband and the father of Elliot, the new Lord Featherington. His turn as the romantic lead came in Season 3. Brownell has since discussed how Colin and Penelope fit into their siblings’ stories. Newton also appeared in “The Lodge” and “Doctors.”
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton
Once the anonymous Lady Whistledown, Penelope knows what it costs when the ton learns whom someone loves. Marriage to Colin made her Francesca’s sister-in-law. Coughlan, who played Clare in “Derry Girls” and starred in “Big Mood,” returns after Season 3 put Penelope’s secret in public view.
Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
The eldest Bridgerton sibling carries the family title. Anthony and Kate’s slow courtship drove Season 2, and their marriage made her the new viscountess. Ashley has confirmed that both actors will return. Bailey also plays Fiyero in the “Wicked” films.
Simone Ashley as Kate Bridgerton
Kate came to London as Kate Sharma, intent on finding her younger sister Edwina a match. She married Anthony and became Francesca’s sister-in-law. Their travels helped explain their time away from Mayfair. Ashley’s credits outside the ton include “Sex Education” and “Picture This.”
Francesca and Michaela’s First Queer Lead Romance
The season opens two years after John’s death. Francesca decides to reenter the marriage mart, according to Netflix’s synopsis. Then Michaela comes back to London to tend the Kilmartin estate, and Francesca’s plans get complicated.
Before the two women could fall in love, Brownell wanted the audience to see them become friends. In Gayety’s interview with the cast and showrunner, she pointed to the study scene with a tipsy Francesca. “Francesca’s wearing icy blue and Michaela’s wearing fiery red. It kind of says it all.”
‘When He Was Wicked’: Francesca’s Story on the Page and on Netflix
Season 5 draws on Julia Quinn’s sixth “Bridgerton” novel “When He Was Wicked,” in which Francesca falls for her late husband’s cousin, Michael Stirling, and the show turned Michael into Michaela at the end of Season 3 in June 2024. “We do plan to stick pretty closely to Francesca’s book other than the gender-swap,” Brownell told TheWrap that month.
Quinn’s author notes for “When He Was Wicked” explain why the book’s timeline is a little tricky. Francesca’s story runs alongside Colin’s and Eloise’s. Neither sibling has married when Part 2 begins, four years after Part 1. TV viewers have already seen Colin marry Penelope, and Netflix picks up Francesca’s story two years after John’s death.
There’s another difference right at the start. Michael falls in love with Francesca at supper, 36 hours before she marries John. By the time Michaela introduces herself to Francesca on the show, John and Francesca have exchanged their vows.
Quinn also said she’d pushed for Francesca’s first marriage to get its due. “I made it clear that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen,” she wrote on Instagram, TheWrap reported in 2024. On her own site, Quinn names a conversation between Francesca and Violet about widowhood as one of her favorite scenes in the book.
Is There a ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 Trailer?
There’s no full trailer yet, but Netflix posted a first-look announcement video on March 24, when it announced production had begun in the U.K. on an eight-episode season. Gayety covered the announcement that morning. Watch Netflix’s video below.
Brownell wants queer musicians on the soundtrack, too. “Letting queer artists be the musical backdrop to a queer love story is going to be a really exciting feature of the season,” she said in her March interview with Tudum.
Baduza’s suggestion, per Tudum, was Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” Dodd has been listening to “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. They offered those songs as personal picks.
Where to Watch ‘Bridgerton’ and Which Episodes to Revisit
All four seasons of “Bridgerton” stream on Netflix. For Francesca’s story, start with the Season 3 finale. Netflix’s Season 4 ending guide picks up where these four episodes leave her.
| Episode | Why watch it |
|---|---|
| Season 3, Episode 8, “Into the Light” | Francesca marries John. When he introduces her to his cousin Michaela, Francesca briefly forgets how to introduce herself. |
| Season 4, Episode 6, “The Passing Winter” | John lies down to rest. His death leaves both Francesca and Michaela grieving the one person who brought them together. |
| Season 4, Episode 7, “The Beyond” | At John’s funeral, Francesca and Michaela share a loss that each woman experiences differently. |
| Season 4, Episode 8, “Dance in the Country” | Francesca looks for Michaela and learns she has left. Season 5 picks up two years later. |
