Viewers have been loving Netflix's raunchy new show Bridgerton, a risqué period drama which follows the members of high society as they attempt to find suitors to wed, all the while knowing that their every move is being watched by the elusive Lady Whistledown, an anonymous gossip columnist.
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However, the final moments of season one were met with mixed reviews from fans, as it finally revealed that the mysterious Lady Whistledown has been the sweet and amiable Penelope Featherington all along.
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While people were loving the plot twist, it changed several opinions on Penelope, who had been a firm fan favourite. One person tweeted: "I don’t know why Penelope is a fan favourite... she didn’t have to make Marina’s 'condition' public news. And she did it out of spite and jealousy. For unrequited, unnoticed love of a man... while playing the role of friend. Trash."
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Another added: "I know y’all love Penelope but I think it was extremely petty for her to expose Marina the way she did."
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, opened up about the big reveal to Refinery29, explaining that she would understand if people are mad at the character for exposing others in her newspaper. She said: "I think people will be mad. I was mad with her. It’s not only Marina's life that she's basically condemned, but also her sisters’.
Were you surprised by the big reveal?
"She's playing with fire. I always think of nature and nurture with Penelope. By nature, she's very sweet. But she hasn’t been nurtured in her family. Her mum is super judgy... I think there's a lot of Portia Featherington in Lady Whistledown. It’s an amalgamation of how Penelope has heard women speak and gossip."
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