Bridgerton Season 3 adds new cast members as plot lines revealed

Season 2 of the hit Netflix series focused on the Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and his love affair with newcomer Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), the next installment in the regency drama will centre on the romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

A host of fan favourite characters will return to the ton for round three, as well as a line-up of new faces.

The Crown actor Sam Phillips will join the cast as Lord Debling, “a genial lord with unusual interests. But with wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities, he'll have no shortage of interest from young ladies this season.”

Stay Close star Daniel Francis plays the “charismatic” Marcus Anderson while Wreck’s James Phoon plays Harry Dankworth, who lacks in the “wit and intelligence” department but makes up for it in his good looks.

Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, have also teased some of the plotlines that fans can expect to see when the new series hits screens.

Penelope will up on her long-held crush on Colin after hearing his disparaging words about her last season and decides that it’s time to find a husband.

However, she struggles to find a husband who will allow her the independence to operate her double life as Lady Whistledown.

Meanwhile, Colin returns to the ton after a summer of travelling and realises that Penelope is giving him the cold shoulder.

Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to help Penelope find a husband, but he must later grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.

Also this season, we will see Penelope attempt to make amends with with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.