Nicola Coughlan Addressed Penelope’s Future Ahead Of Bridgerton Season 5

When Bridgerton Season 5 premieres next year, one aspect of the Regency romance will look a little different. Despite briefly trying to become a more honest gossip columnist after her identity was revealed, Penelope officially put down Lady Whistledown’s quill in Season 4.

While there’s no word yet on how her decision will play out next season, Nicola Coughlan is feeling reflective about her character’s retirement.

“It’s bittersweet. I feel like, God, I had such an epic run,” she told E! News in an interview published on Aug. 18. “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.”

Season 4 ended with Penelope stepping away from the column — only for a mystery new scribe to take up the mantle, still narrated by Julie Andrews’ iconic off-screen timbre. For anyone hoping Coughlan might accidentally spill the tea on her enigmatic successor: She has no idea. “They know not to tell me,” she said. “But I genuinely have no clue and it’s quite nice not to know. I don’t need to know.”

Just as her character is entering a new chapter, Coughlan herself has confirmed that she will have less screen time in Bridgerton Season 5. But don’t fret — because she certainly isn’t: “I feel very lucky. It’s the best of both worlds,” she told E!, explaining that she still gets to visit the set between filming Only Murders in the Building and enjoys the lower pressure that comes with no longer being the lead. “I’ll always pop back to Bridgerton if they want me. If I can be set dressing, I’ll be there.”

She’s not alone, of course. While it’s common for the married Bridgerton siblings to appear less frequently in subsequent seasons, most of the brood have expressed their desire to return. As Simone Ashley recently told Bustle of reprising her role as Kate, “I don’t think any of us know what to expect storylinewise or what our involvement is. But yeah, I think me and [Jonathan Bailey] will always come back. We will always make it work.”

And while Phoebe Dynevor hasn’t appeared on the show since Season 2, she’s not ruling out a return to Daphne’s world. “I had the best experience on that show. I truly love to talk about it. I love the fandom, and I love the people I worked with,” she told Bustle last year. “I’d love to have been there the whole time, but I had to pass on the baton. That’s how the show works. If they give me a call and want me to do something, I’m ready for that. I’m not sure how Daphne would appear now, but I loved playing her.”