Bridgerton fans confused after major character is missing from season 3

Bridgerton's third season arrived on our screens on Thursday and viewers have wasted no time getting stuck into the first four episodes in part one. 

While most fans have been loving the new storyline, which explores the friend-to-lovers arc between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), some couldn't help but question the absence of a major character.

Season one star Phoebe Dynevor, who portrays the eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne, was notably missing from the new episodes. 

Taking to social media, fans expressed their disappointment, with many hoping for an update on Daphne and her husband, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). 

© Photo: Netflix

One person questioned: "Where is Daphne?? I miss Phoebe Dynevor," while another penned: "Depending on how the next 4 episodes go I might love this season even more than season 2. I wanna see Daphne tho (and Simon) WHERE IS SHE?"

A third person remarked: "I genuinely need Daphne back like… she's literally a Bridgerton. THE SHOW IS CALLED BRIDGERTON," while another added: "Can Daphne come back at least for a single episode pls I want Francesca and her scene pls #BRIDGERTON."

© LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

Phoebe confirmed her departure from the show last year during a red carpet appearance at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. When quizzed over upcoming storylines for her character, the actress told Screen Rant: "Sadly not in season three. Potentially in the future. But season three, I'm just excited to watch as a viewer."

She later spoke about the reason behind her exit during an interview with Variety, revealing that Daphne's story had come to an end. "Well I did my two seasons," said the 29-year-old. "I've done what I wanted to do with that character and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?"

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While Phoebe isn't in season three, it's possible that she might return for future seasons as showrunner Jess Brownell is keen to bring the Bridgerton siblings back together. 

 "We want to keep seeing all of our Bridgerton siblings," she told Variety in 2022. "We feel like those moments when the whole family is together is what really makes the show and makes all of us, I think, want to be a Bridgerton. So yes, you will definitely be seeing Daphne, Anthony and Kate — how much, I don’t want to say quite yet, but you have to tune in."

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Phoebe's departure comes after her on-screen husband Regé-Jean Page left the show. The actor didn't return to the drama after season one and appears to have no plans to reprise his role.

While chatting with Vanity Fair last year, the Dungeons & Dragons star was asked whether his decision was an attempt to avoid being pigeonholed, to which he said: "It's much simpler than that. I signed up to do a job and I did the job and then I did some other jobs. That's it. That's the story. I wish it was more glamorous than that."

He added: "[After] we finished the story, the temptation would be to roll with the distractions and go, 'Oh, well, the story went really well so we can kind of change this up and make some other stuff up, I guess.' That was never what we'd signed up to do."

Bridgerton is available on Netflix.