Bridgerton season 4's ultimate guide: all we know so far

First things first, how is sweet Polin getting along? According to the showrunner Jess Brownell, the couple are incredibly loved up – but there will be some drama now that Penelope has been outed as Lady Whistledown, particularly regarding her relationship with the queen.

She said: "Penelope and Colin are fully 'Polin'. They've merged! Colin is a wife guy, they've got their baby. They're pretty happy. Penelope is publicly Whistledown, so that's a lot to navigate with Her Majesty."

Thanks to their filmographies being utterly jam-packed with new projects, Jonathan and Simone haven't been a sure thing for season 4 – but don't worry – they are returning! Anthony and Kate, who went to India to welcome their baby in season three, will be back with the Bridgerton family, along with their bouncing newborn! Aw! Jess explained: "We will get to be seeing more of their marital bliss and seeing their baby as well!"

Unfortunately for Eloise, who had a reprieve from Violet's efforts to score her a match in season three thanks to Francesca's marriage, her mother's sights have refocused on finding her a fella, something that she is "dreading." She is also set to be partnered up with her little sister, Hyacinth, who is "desperate to pre-debut early."

Little Gregory, the youngest of the Bridgerton brothers, is being sent off to Eton during this season, with Jess saying he will return to the show as a "young man." They grow up so fast!

And now, a closer look at Benedict and Sophie. Fans of the book An Offer from a Gentleman will know that there are certain elements of the novel that would be criminal to leave out, and it has indeed been confirmed that these will be included in the show, which has been described as the closest to the novel so far. Keywords for those who have read the books include "My cottage" and "lake." Enjoy!

Yerin was cast after taking part in a chemistry read with Luke via Zoom – and they only met in person after she had been cast, taking her on a round-the-world trip from Korea to Australia to the UK to start filming! Jess revealed that she captured their first meeting on her Ring doorbell camera, saying: "They hugged at the front of my apartment for the first time, and I have a Ring camera, and I'm like, 'This is a historic moment,' but I don't record things for longer than 24 hours and was like, 'Oh, it's gone.' That's probably good because it's creepy!"

Jess was full of praise for Yerin's portrayal of Sophie, and it sounds like she's perfected the Sophie that we would hope to see from the books. She explained: "I think Benedict is a character who we have all been rooting for over the years and are deeply invested in his story. It's been really exciting to try and shake him out of his normal routine.

"And I think the only way we were able to do that is with a character as dynamic as Sophie. She is based on a Cinderella trope, but she is no damsel in distress. She is someone who has chess moves and is always thinking three steps ahead. She's going to throw Benedict for a loop, and Yerin brings this incredible feistiness, humour, and vulnerability to the role. We're so lucky to have her."

Each season of the show takes on a different romance trope, with season one being 'fake dating,' season two being 'enemies to lovers,' season three being 'friends to lovers,' and now, in season four, the romantic trope will focus on 'forbidden love,' as Benedict is a gentleman and Sophie is a maid.

For the first time on the show, we will actually go downstairs and focus on the staff behind the scenes. Jess said: "We've spent the first three seasons really digging into the upstairs world and getting to know the rules of the Ton, so it felt right that after three seasons of doing that, we could expand on the world and go downstairs.

"It broadens our world, but also, we know how difficult a pairing between a gentleman and a maid will be."

Unfortunately, while the show is well underway, the cast and crew are only about halfway through filming, so we don't think we'll have any Bridgerton on our screens this year – but it means all the more to enjoy in 2026. See you then!