‘If you are not keeping the essence of the stories, please do not continue to call the show Bridgerton’

A very angry petition from viewers of Bridgerton is demanding that a huge change made to the books, introduced at the end of season three, is reversed by Netflix going forward.

The end of season three saw the entrance of new character Michaela Stirling, who will be at the centre of a queer love story with Francesca Bridgerton. However, in the books the character is called Michael, is a man, and Francesca enters into a heterosexual relationship with him, following the death of John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin.

Now, a petition is calling this change to the books a “travesty” and demanding Netflix rethinks its plan to carry it out, instead begging the show to keep the story the same as the books.

via Change.org

The petition reads: “I found solace in the Bridgerton book series during a particularly challenging phase of my life. Francesca’s book and her love story with Michael Stirling of Kilmartin rekindled my belief in love. The characters, unaltered and pure just as the author penned them, resonated with me profoundly.

“To see these characters altered in visual adaptation is nothing short of a travesty. Hence, this petition is an earnest plea to the creators of the Bridgerton series to revert the character to the original Michael Stirling of Kilmartin. The books have sold millions of copies worldwide, each reader forming a unique connection with the characters as they were originally portrayed, illustrating the significance of maintaining their characteristics in visual adaptations.

“By altering a character’s identity, the storyline risks losing its essence and could potentially disappoint the vast audience that has come to cherish this beloved story. Please, honor the original spirit of the Bridgerton books, and restore Michael Stirling to his rightful place in Francesca’s story. Rekindle the love we held for the characters, as they were, rooted in the pages of the Bridgerton series.”

via Netflix

Over 16,000 people have signed, and the petition insists its aim is “not against the LGBTQ+ community in any way shape or form” and is instead “peaceful and respectful”. One signer commented: “If you are not keeping the essence of the stories, please do not continue to call the show Bridgerton.”

This isn’t the first Bridgerton petition to gain huge attention. There were also a number of deleted scenes in season three, and a petition signed now by over 50k people has demanded these are restored.