Nicola Coughlan revealed that she is taking a step back from her role as Penelope Featherington in the forthcoming fifth season of “Bridgerton.” The change follows a defining chapter for her character in the Netflix drama, as reported [1] by Page Six.
“It’s bittersweet,” the actress, 39, told E! News in an interview published Tuesday. Coughlan also reflected warmly on everything she experienced during her time at the center of the series.
“I feel like, God, I had such an epic run,” she said. Coughlan pointed to the way the world of “Bridgerton” regularly changes as each season turns its attention toward another story.
“I think that’s part of the beauty of that world is it keeps reinventing itself,” she continued. That approach has allowed different characters and relationships to move into focus as the drama progresses.
Dearest gentle reader, Nicola Coughlan may have retired as Lady Whistledown, but even she does not know who her successor will be. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/xWxVzJLfR0 [2]
— E! News (@enews) August 18, 2026 [3]
Coughlan’s Penelope was also the original Lady Whistledown, the mysterious author responsible for Regency London’s gossip pamphlet.
Writing anonymously under the pen name, Penelope chronicled ongoing events and secret affairs involving people throughout the town.
Her identity was eventually exposed in society amid her romance with Colin Bridgerton, portrayed by Luke Newton.
The revelation came at the end of Season 3 and fundamentally changed Penelope’s ability to continue writing anonymously.
Throughout Season 4, viewers watched Penelope struggle with losing that anonymity. She also faced the difficulty of being unable to produce unbiased columns about other people’s lives once society knew she was the person behind Lady Whistledown.
At the same time, Penelope encountered the consequences created by her gossip. By the conclusion of the season, she decided to retire as Lady Whistledown and focus on her marriage to Colin and her life as a mother.
The story delivered another surprise before the season ended. A new imposter introduced themselves as Lady Whistledown, although the identity of that person has not yet been revealed.
Coughlan does not know who the new writer is either. She admitted to E! News that she was “really bad at keeping secrets,” giving those behind the series a clear reason not to share the answer with her.
“I told everyone and said I was her,” Coughlan explained. Her earlier willingness to reveal Penelope’s secret apparently means she is now experiencing the new Lady Whistledown mystery alongside viewers.
“So they know not to tell me. But I genuinely have no clue, and it’s quite nice not to know. I don’t need to know,” she said of the hidden identity.
The “Derry Girls” alum has also not been informed how many episodes of the upcoming season will feature her. The fifth season is currently set for release in 2027.
Despite taking a step back, Coughlan made it clear that she remains willing to return whenever the series has a place for Penelope. Her enthusiasm extended even to the possibility of simply appearing in the background.
“I’ll always pop back to ‘Bridgerton’ if they want me,” she said. “If I can be set dressing, I’ll be there. No problem.”
The upcoming season will instead be led by Lady Francesca Stirling, portrayed by Hannah Dodd, and Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza.
Tudum by Netflix described their storyline as the first central “Bridgerton” love story involving two characters of the same gender.
Francesca and Michaela were brought together following the death of Francesca’s husband, Lord John Stirling, who was also Michaela’s relative.
His death occurred during Season 4, setting the stage for their story to lead the forthcoming season while Coughlan assumes a smaller presence.