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Bridgerton season 5: everything we know about the Netflix show's return

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Give it up for our season 5 romantic leads. (Image credit: Netflix)

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• Francesca and Michaela will be romantic leads
• Production has begun as of March 2026
• Season 5 renewed before season 4 was released
• Will have a two year time jump
• Other main cast expected to return, but not confirmed

Bridgerton season 5 has officially started production, and everything I want to happen in the hit Netflix show is set to come true.

After John Stirling's (Victor Alli) untimely death in season 4, the stage was set for his widow Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and cousin Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) to fall head over heels for each other... and it's happening sooner rather than later.

Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again... Bridgerton Season 5 is now in production. pic.twitter.com/ro Xewr 7ocq March 24, 2026

Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again... Bridgerton Season 5 is now in production. pic.twitter.com/ro Xewr 7ocq March 24, 2026

Yes, the pair are officially our season 5 romantic leads, beating out fan favorite Eloise (Claudia Jessie) to shine in the spotlight. It also marks the first LGBTQIA+ couple in the series and, frankly, even the thought makes my heart soar.

Bridgerton season 5 stars are ready for Francesca-Michaela LGBT romance

Bridgerton season 5 is 'pretty much done' and starts shooting 'very soon'

Bridgerton season 4 part 2 ending explained and season 5 predictions

The girls are ready to be LGBT icons, but what do we actually know about Bridgerton season 5 so far?

As of March 2026, Bridgerton season 5 has only just gone into production, so we're looking at a 2027 release at the very earliest.

However, as we had to wait two years between seasons 3 and 4, a 2028 release window might be more likely.

It's incredibly early days, so the above story announcement is your lot for now (although that has me excited enough).

Obviously Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza will be fronting Bridgerton season 5, but here's who else we can expect to return:

As you can see, I've left a few key names out of this list. For obvious reasons (ie his character is dead), Victor Alli, who plays John Stirling, will not be returning.

It's also not a given that Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton) and Simone Ashley (Kate Bridgerton) will return either, as their appearance in season 4 part 2 was a cameo.

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Bridgerton season 4 part 1 release date and time on Netflix

Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) has taken her leave of Queen Charlotte's palace as of the season 4 finale, meaning her return also isn't guaranteed.

Watch this space for updates, and potential new characters announced as filming begins.

Violet is in her situationship era. (Image credit: Netflix)

Obviously, we're leading with the Francesca-Michaela romance, with season 5 supposedly kicking off with a two year time jump after Sophie and Benedict's wedding in the season 4 finale.

You might also remember that Michaela fled London without so much as saying goodbye... so the fact that she returns out of the blue after so much time is bound to have Francesca reeling.

"What's most exciting about Season 5 is that it is going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma," showrunner Jess Brownell told Netflix.

"There are going to be difficulties for the characters and conflict the same way there is for every Bridgerton character. But we are still always grounding our love stories in the fact that this series is about joy."

Other characters, such as Eloise, seemingly now have no direction at all, given she was the fan favorite to take over as romantic lead (fingers crossed for season 6 eh?)

We also need to find out who the new Lady Whistledown is, though this isn't a guarantee either.

These two still haven't had their time to shine. (Image credit: Netflix)

While Bridgerton has been renewed for seasons 5 and 6, Brownell is ultimately working with a plan for 8 seasons in total — one for each Bridgerton child.

When I asked her about potential spinoffs following Violet's journey in season 4 part 2, Brownell answers, "I would watch the hell out of it. I leave spin off territory to Shonda [Rimes]. I'm focused on trying to get through eight seasons of Bridgerton. But, yeah, I'd love that."

So while seasons 7 and 8 haven't been officially confirmed, they're being worked on... and unless something goes badly wrong between now and then, I don't see why they wouldn't come to light.

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Jasmine is a Streaming Staff Writer for Tech Radar, previously writing for outlets including Radio Times, Yahoo! and Stylist. She specialises in comfort TV shows and movies, ranging from Hallmark's latest tearjerker to Netflix's Virgin River. She's also the person who wrote an obituary for George Cooper Sr. during Young Sheldon Season 7 and still can't watch the funeral episode.

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• Bridgerton season 5: everything we know about the Netflix show's return