'Bridgerton': Who is new Lady Whistledown?

Lady Whistledown is dead. Long live Lady Whistledown.

Just when you thought the scandal sheets were finished, Bridgerton pulls the rug out.

Midway through season 4, Penelope Bridgerton, played by Nicola Coughlan, makes the unthinkable choice: she retires Lady Whistledown. And she doesn’t whisper it – she announces it.

Pamphlets fly at Cressida’s pink-soaked ball, jaws drop across Mayfair, and even Queen Charlotte, portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel, seems impressed.

Why quit? As Penelope tells the queen, “Like you, I will always believe in the power of gossip. But since I have become known publicly, there has been a change. The power I hold over the ton is too great.” Now a Bridgerton — married to Colin (Luke Newton) — she admits, “I’m no longer a wallflower, an outsider… Whistledown takes up a space which makes it impossible to deliver good, true, fair gossip.”

Showrunner Jess Brownell explains, “Penelope went through such a giant growth arc last season… she realizes that it’s time for her to stop being in that role.”

But here’s the twist: the silence doesn’t last.

In the explosive finale, a fresh column appears. Same iconic voice (yes, Julie Andrews). Different author. “Are you perhaps feeling a little shock?” the new Whistledown purrs. “You thought I was gone for good… Though this time with a very different author.”

Brownell teases, “Now, we get to play with audience expectations.”

So… who’s holding the pen? A familiar face? A servant? A secret mastermind?

Dearest reader, the game has only just begun.