Nicola Coughlan takes step back from ‘Bridgerton’ season 5

Nicola Coughlan is taking a step back from her role as Penelope Featherington in the upcoming fifth season of Netflix’s hit period drama Bridgerton.

The 39-year-old actress opened up about her reduced role in an interview with E! News, describing the change as “bittersweet” after her major involvement in the series.

“I feel like, God, I had such an epic run,” Coughlan said. She added that one of the strengths of Bridgerton is its ability to reinvent itself, with each season introducing a new central love story and shifting its focus to different members of the aristocratic Bridgerton family and their circle.

Coughlan’s Penelope has been a central figure throughout the series. She was also revealed to be Lady Whistledown, the anonymous writer behind the scandalous gossip pamphlet chronicling the secrets of Regency-era London.

Penelope’s identity was exposed to high society at the end of Season 3, following her romance with Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton. Throughout Season 4, she struggled with the consequences of losing her anonymity and found it increasingly difficult to write about the lives of those around her without bias.

By the end of the season, Penelope ultimately chose to retire as Lady Whistledown and focus on her marriage to Colin and motherhood.

However, the story took another surprising turn when a new writer stepped forward and claimed the Lady Whistledown identity. The new character’s identity has yet to be revealed.

Coughlan admitted that she does not know who is behind the new persona, saying she is “really bad at keeping secrets.”

The actress also revealed that she has not yet been told exactly how many episodes she will appear in during Season 5, which is scheduled to arrive in 2027.