‘Bridgerton' teases season 5 release date

Bridgerton fans won't have to wait as long as they might have feared.

Netflix has confirmed that the hit period drama will return with its fifth season next year, breaking the two-year gap that has separated recent series.

The announcement came from Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria during the streamer's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on Wednesday. 

It's welcome news for a show that has become one of the platform's most reliable crowd-pleasers since its debut in December 2020.

Season five will put the spotlight on Francesca Bridgerton, played by Hannah Dodd, and marks a notable moment for the series, it will be the first to centre on a same-gender love story. 

Francesca's leading lady is Michaela Stirling, portrayed by Masali Baduza

According to the official logline, the season picks up two years after Francesca loses her husband John, as she tentatively re-enters the marriage market for practical reasons. 

Things become considerably more complicated when John's cousin Michaela arrives in London to manage the Kilmartin estate, leaving Francesca torn between pragmatism and passion.

Production on the eight-episode season is already under way in the UK, with Netflix having offered a first-look teaser back in March.

The fifth series follows Season 4, which told the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) and aired in two parts across January and February of this year. 

Before that, Season 3 starred Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan as Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, while Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley led Season 2 as Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma.

Netflix renewed Bridgerton for both seasons 5 and 6 in May 2025, meaning there are still plenty of stories left to tell. 

After Francesca's chapter, the remaining Bridgerton siblings yet to find their leading roles on screen are Eloise, Gregory (Will Tilston) and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt). 

The Ton, it seems, is far from done.