Bridgerton Season 5 Will Focus On Francesca And Michaela’s Love Story, Netflix Confirms

Bridgerton bosses have finally confirmed that Hannah Dodd will be taking the lead in the next season of the hit period drama.

After much speculation, Netflix announced on Tuesday afternoon that season five would focus on the love story between Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling (played by Masali Budaza), the first time the show has had a same-sex romance as its main plot.

It also marks something of a departure from the Francesca romance outlined in the Bridgerton novel When He Was Wicked.

While in the book, Francesca falls in love with her late husband’s cousin, Michael Stirling, this character was gender-swapped for the TV adaptation.

Showrunner Jess Brownell previously said: “I didn’t want to just insert a queer character for queer character’s sake. I want to tell a story that accurately reflects a queer experience, and the first time I read Francesca’s book, I really identified with it as a queer woman.”

Jess went on to say that she related to Francesca, who is described in the books as feeling “different” without “really knowing why”.

“As a queer woman, a lot of my queer experience, and I think a lot of my friends’ [experiences have] been about that sense of feeling different, and navigating what that means,” she explained.

Bridgerton author Julia Quinn also gave this move her personal seal of approval, insisting: “Anyone who has seen an interview with me from the past four years knows that I am deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen.”

Production on season five of Bridgerton is officially underway, following the success of the fourth run, which concluded last month.

Fans could still be in for a bit of a wait until their next trip to the Ton, though, with Francesca and Michaela’s season expected to premiere in late 2027 at the earliest.