Bridgerton fans are buzzing with excitement! Many believe author Julia Quinn just dropped a major hint about which couple will star in the show’s fifth season. It seems our favorite Regency-era matchmaker might have spilled the tea on social media.
Quinn, the brilliant mind behind the beloved book series, took to Instagram on Monday, September 1. She shared some throwback photos of herself alongside actress Claudia Jessie, who plays the sharp-witted Eloise Bridgerton. The pictures were from way back in Season 1, adding a touch of nostalgia.
Her caption was quite telling. “Looking back… and looking forward,” Quinn wrote. She also noted the photos were from 2019, giving credit for the collage and transcription to @inmylibrary. But the real clue came with her hashtags: #Bridgerton, #philoise, and #tosirphillipwithlove. For those in the know, “Philoise” clearly points to Eloise and Sir Phillip Crane.
The Bridgerton series, found on Netflix, brings Quinn’s books to life. It follows the wealthy Bridgerton family as they search for love in 19th-century London society. Each season usually focuses on one sibling’s journey to find their perfect match.
Season 1 introduced us to Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor, and her romance with Simon Basset, portrayed by Regé-Jean Page. Their story mirrored Quinn’s first book, The Duke and I. Then came Season 2, which followed Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) finding love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), a tale from The Viscount Who Loved Me.
Things got a little mixed up after that. The third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, centers on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). But the show decided to save his love story with Sophie (Yerin Ha) for Season 4. Instead, Season 3 jumped ahead to the delightful romance of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin), inspired by Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
Fans will have to be patient for new episodes. Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed a two-year wait before Season 4 finally arrives. “We’re trying to get the seasons out faster,” Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024. “But filming takes eight months. Then we have to edit and dub everything into all the languages.” She added that writing also takes a long time, so a two-year pace is what they’re aiming for. Season 4 is expected to hit screens in 2026.
So, who might lead Season 5? Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) is certainly a strong contender. Her story starts with her marriage to John Stirling (Victor Alli), leading to a future romance with his cousin. The show even surprised some book readers by introducing John’s cousin as Michaela instead of Michael.
However, Eloise’s story, possibly with Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton), is now looking more likely. Interestingly, these two characters haven’t even met on the show yet. Quinn has mentioned that Netflix plans to produce eight seasons in total, matching each of her eight books. Good news for fans: Netflix has already renewed Bridgerton for both Seasons 5 and 6.
Author Julia Quinn also shared her thoughts with Us Weekly back in May. “I know who is scheduled for next,” she said, “It can always change, as it has changed in the past.” She then added, “My hope is that all the siblings end up starring because we love them very much. That was partly the point of the books: you have eight distinct stories, but all of them are connected.”
It sounds like there’s plenty more love and drama coming our way from the Bridgerton family. We’ll just have to wait and see if Eloise and Phillip are truly next in line to capture our hearts.
Bridgerton is available to stream anytime on Netflix.