Bridgerton S5: Who has been confirmed as the lead couple for the new season on Netflix?

Dearest gentle reader, good news is upon us!

A fifth season of the regency romance series Bridgerton has been confirmed by Netflix.

This news comes after the recent release of Season 4, which told the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).

So, the question is what can fans expect from Season 5? Here is everything we know so far.

Who will lead Season 5?

Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2025

Upon confirming Season 5, the streamer also announced that Francesca Sterling (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) will be the leads for the upcoming season, marking the first same-sex relationship storyline for the show.

In Season 4, we saw Francesca - the middle Bridgerton daughter- experiencing the grief of unexpectedly losing her husband, John, the Earl of Kilmartin, and at the end of the season, she is adamant that she's had her great love and will not marry again. Meanwhile, we see Michaela leaving London without saying a word, also navigating the grief of losing her cousin.

When we get to Season 5, it will have been two years since John's death, and Francesca decides to re-enter the marriage mart - not for love but for practicality. During this time, Michaela returns to London to deal with Kilmartin estate matters, which stir up feelings inside her, causing her inner conflict.

“It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means,” series showrunner Jess Brownell told Netflix's Tudum. “But to make an entire Bridgerton season about a sapphic relationship feels huge.”

“If there’s anything really specific about this season, it is the yearning. It’s big-time yearning,” she added. “It’s going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. … We’re having so much fun!”

Season 5 teaser revealed

A teaser for Season 5 has been revealed. In the 35-second clip, we see Francesca walking outside, standing beside Michaela as the words "Next season, love begins again" appear on screen.

We then get a close-up of Francesca as she turns to look at Michaela, each smiling at one another, and in another shot, we see their hands move closer together.

What have the lead actors said?

ZOE MCCONNELL/NETFLIX © 2026

Actors Hannah Dood, who plays Francesa Sterling, and Masali Baduza, who plays Michaela Sterling, have shared their thoughts on leading the next season of the show.

“When you spend so much time with a character, you genuinely do want them to be happy. At the moment, [Francesca] is in such a devastating position. So I am really looking forward to her feeling like she deserves love,” she told Netflix's Tudum. “She’s always trying to get things right, and so much has gone wrong for her. I’m really excited for her to experience feeling loved [again] … and feeling enough within herself as well.”

“Michaela … really struggles to show vulnerability to people that she doesn’t know, especially because she’s had to hide so many parts of herself,” Baduza told the same publication. “She’s used to having all these walls up. I’m excited to tear down those walls and have her let Francesca in. I'm excited for people to see her wanted so deeply and so badly … I’m excited for people to see Michaela yearn for Francesca.”

How are fans reacting to the latest announcement?

Bridgerton fans have been sharing their excitement on social media at the news that Francesca and Michaela are the leads for Season 5, and that we'll be seeing a sapphic love on screen.

One person wrote, "Lesbian lead couple in a mainstream romance show, I could f***ing cry."

"I'm so sat you don’t understand," a second person said.

A third person added, "I'm seated as f*** but goddamn, wtf is Eloise is gonna be doing??"

"THIS IS EVERYTHING TO ME," a fourth person commented.

A fifth person shared, "Irl footage of me delivering this news to everyone I know."

"My genuine reaction when I opened Twitter to this notification," someone else said.

In conclusion:

When will Season 5 be released?

A release date for Bridgerton Season 5 has not yet been confirmed by Netflix, but we do know that the upcoming episodes are now in production, with many outlets estimating a potential 2027 release.

Will there be a Season 6?

Yes, the streamer has also confirmed that there will be a sixth season of Bridgerton, but it has not yet been announced who will be the leads for this season.

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