Bridgerton author Julia Quinn has responded to the rumours that the Netflix show will be recasting two of the titular family’s members, and it looks like it’s going to be good news for long-term fans.
Reports have been circulating that Florence Hunt and Will Tilston, who have played Hyacinth and Gregory Bridgerton since the show’s very first season, will have to be replaced by the time the show gets around to adapting the novels where they take centre stage.
Speaking to Us Weekly, Quinn didn’t give a definitive answer, but seemed pretty confident that Hunt and Tilston would be sticking around.
“It’s funny because they were, like, 12 and 13 when they started,” she said. “If you asked me that back then [about the same actors playing them as adults], I’d be like, ‘I don’t know’.
“But when I saw them again at the premiere, they were both drinking wine. They’re both 18 now and Will was there with his girlfriend.”
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The duo are the focus of the novels It’s In His Kiss and On the Way to the Wedding, and there are two books in Quinn’s series set to be adapted before that – and Quinn has confirmed that the show will be following the book order, at least generally.
Given how long the show takes to turn around seasons, we won’t see the Hyacinth and Gregory-centric seasons for a few years yet.
“[Showrunner] Jess [Brownell] has said the next two seasons will be either Eloise and then Francesca or Francesca and then Eloise, which makes sense,” she said.
“It takes a few years to film, so by the time we get to Hyacinth and Gregory, the actors are going to be well into their 20s, so I think it’ll probably be OK. Will it be weird that we knew them when they were 12? We see child stars grow up all the time.”
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Related: Bridgerton boss responds to exit rumours for major character after season 4
Right now, it’s all about Benedict and his budding romance with Sophie. Netflix is doing the split season thing again, but thankfully we don’t have to wait long for the final four episodes of season 4.
The streaming giant dropped a new teaser last week, just to make the wait a little easier to deal with.
We’ve also ranked all the major Bridgerton couples so far in a list that we’re sure that everyone will agree with. And if you don’t, feel free to disagree in Lady Whistledown’s newsletters.
Bridgerton seasons 1-3 and 4 part 1 are streaming on Netflix, along with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Season 4 part 2 drops on 26 February.
Read more Bridgerton news on our dedicated homepage
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.