Bridgerton season 3 spoilers follow.

Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton have revealed that Penelope Featherington will have a new love interest in season three.

The Bridgerton fanbase has long hoped that Penelope will get together with Colin Bridgerton, but the previous season ended on a disappointing note when Colin decided he could never court her.

While season three teasers have hinted there may still be hope for the pair, Nicola and co-star Luke have confirmed Penelope will spend season three looking for a husband — with Colin actually joining in as a courting coach of sorts.

"She's decided she's going to find a husband, she heads back to the 'Ton and she's like, 'I've got to get away from the Featheringtons, they're wrecking my buzz, I'm out of here'," Nicola told Digital Spy and other media.

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“So she basically says, 'I'm going to find a husband', and Colin is like, 'I'll help you', and she's like, 'Fine, I don't love you at all, this will work out great'. So she finds some suitors, some are more successful than others but one is very, very fond of her, and she's like, 'Yeah, this could work'."

The duo teased that a newcomer, Lord Debling (nicknamed Debbers), could ultimately win Penelope's heart, which Luke jokingly referred to as his "biggest threat".

While Colin offers to help Penelope in her search for a spouse, there may still be some bridges to be built before the two can truly be friends again.

"I'm going to let this season end after one episode. She's like, 'I'll never forgive you'. I think we better forgive him," Nicola joked.

Luke more seriously hinted: "I think she has to surely [forgive Colin]. I think it gives us a really good place to start. If everything was all good between the two, there's less growth for the two of them together."

Nicola also felt that their falling out may help Penelope to see Colin as a human being rather than her romantic ideal — though she does describe Colin as a "very lovely human".

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"[We can] start from a clean playing field and then we can go from there," Luke suggested.

Bridgerton seasons 1-2 are streaming now on Netflix, along with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Season 3 premieres in two parts, on May 16 and June 13.

Night News Editor

Justin has been with Digital Spy since 2010, and in that time, has covered countless major news events for DS from the US. 

He has worked previously as both a reporter and sub editor for the brand, prior to taking on the position of Night News Editor in 2016. 

Over more than a decade, he has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. As a US contributor to Digital Spy, Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo.

TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.