“Bridgerton” actress Nicola Coughlan revealed Tuesday that she wouldn’t be attending the Season 2 premiere after testing positive for COVID-19.
The star, who plays Penelope Featherington in the Netflix series, shared a glammed-up photo of herself in a towel and bathrobe along with a caption announcing her diagnosis.
“My Bridgerton Premiere look- a little different than expected,” she wrote on Instagram. “So I’ve been struck down with Miss Rona and I’m missing our first premiere- heartbroken is an understatement but sending so much love to my gorgeous cast mates who I hope have the best night.”
Another notable cast member missing from the premiere event was Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton. The actress explained in an Instagram story that she was shooting another project “up north” that prevented her from attending.
“Sad not to be with my Bridgerton family tonight – celebrating another season and our incredible cast and crew,” she wrote. “I’ll be raising a glass to you all from up north (or more likely a coffee- night shoots calling.)”
Tuesday evening’s premiere event was held at the Tate Modern in London and attended by the majority of the show’s large ensemble cast.
Jonathan Bailey, who stars as Lord Anthony Bridgerton, was thrilled to be reunited with his co-stars. “It’s amazing to be in the same room as everyone and to celebrate the experience,” he said during the premiere’s red carpet livestream.
He also spoke about how his character has changed since Season 1, which premiered on Christmas Day in 2020. “Anthony has got a lot of self-reflection and yeah, growth and we see that. He’s had a really troubled complicated past and we address that, but he needs to be the best person that he can be before he meets someone like Kate Sharma [played by Simone Ashley].”
Simone Ashley commented on the unique relationship between Kate and Edwina Sharma, played by Charithra Chandran. “There’s no one really quite like them. The sisterhood that they share, I think is really special,” she said, adding: “And we can’t forget old Newton as well, the little corgi that comes along with us.”
“Bridgerton” Season 2 premieres Friday, March 25th on Netflix. The new season of the steamy, wildly popular Regency-era drama follows Viscount Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find love. Created and executive produced by Chris Van Dusen, the series is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and is based on a series of the same name by Julia Quinn.
