Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

When is Bridgerton series two out?: All you need to know about second season of steamy regency drama

© LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIXBridgerton. (L to R) Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton.
Bridgerton. (L to R) Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton.

Sitting in a car with her Sex Education cast mates as they excitedly discussed Bridgerton, the latest smash hit from Netflix, Simone Ashley had no idea she would soon be its next leading lady.

Ashley said: “I remember hearing about the first season when it came out around Christmas. We were all in the car together and everyone was talking about watching it, so to now be offered an opportunity to be a part of it is just really, really exciting.”

Ashley plays Kate, a new addition to the Bridgerton family, who is written off by others as being a bit of a spinster. Her whip-smart ways and fiery personality, however, soon turn a certain eligible bachelor’s head.

Ashley said: “Kate is really well-known and loved by fans of the book series. She’s a strong, independent, fiery, smart, intelligent woman, and I think those were the key aspects I wanted to bring to the character; someone who really uses her brain, but also feels this pull to follow her heart.”

Her sparring partner for the season is the dishy Lord Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey, who is the eldest Bridgerton and man of the house. This season, he wants to find a wife to fit his station, but is determined not to fall in love with her. He sets his sights on Kate’s younger sister Edwina, but the headstrong older sister is determined to stop her beloved little sis from entering into a loveless marriage, so does her best to thwart Anthony’s efforts, much to his chargrin – and fascination.

Ashley explained the couple’s dynamic. “Sometimes when you meet someone who has qualities that you see within yourself, they can frustrate and annoy you. That’s what happens a lot with Kate and Anthony; it takes one to know one, and they are incredibly similar. Soon that frustration turns into something a bit more playful; a bit more tender.”

The steamy regency era show is famous for its inclusivity, veering away from the all-white casts of period dramas past. Based on the books by author Juila Quinn, the character Ashley plays has been adapted for the screen to allow for the introduction of a South-Asian family.

Ashley explained, “In the books, my character is known as Kate Sheffield, but in the series we have introduced her as Kate Sharma. I think that’s really down to our incredible writers and showrunner, Chris Van Dusen, who was adamant about encouraging a diverse writers’ room.

“I’m really grateful for that, as it just shows that having a thought, an idea, then ripples out and has led to me sitting here.”


Series 2 of Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix from Friday