Alert the Ton! Bridgerton Season 3 is almost on our doorsteps, where we’ll watch Colin Bridgerton on his knees, begging and grovelling (we hope!) for the love of Penelope Featherington.

While we’ll take any excuse to watch Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton’s stare into each other’s eyes, the decision to move #Polin’s story to third in the TV show, rather than its book place as fourth, is a bold move. So much so, that it’s sent Bridgerton fans into a frenzy, analysing every word and every move the cast makes in hopes of discovering what couple Season 4 will be focusing on.

Is it our boy Benny, who we’re dying to see get the infamous Bridgerton glow-up (as if it were possible for Luke Thompson to get even more gorgeous)? Or perhaps it’s our favourite whipsmart Eloise, who fans are begging to see finally fall in love. Or maybe, it’s someone we haven’t been keeping an eye on…

Ahead, we spoke to new Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell, who we tried to squeeze for as many answers about Season 4 as we possibly could.

Who is the lead for Bridgerton Season 4?

We’re sleuthing. We’re reading. We’re investigating. But at this stage, all lips in the Ton are very, very tightly sealed and we have no concrete answers.

However, at a recent red carpet event for the Australian premiere, Refinery29 spoke to new Bridgerton showrunner (and overlord) Jess Brownell, to try and find out who will be taking over in Season 4.

Understandably, Brownell was very tight-lipped — but did give some interesting information that we’ll no doubt be analysing for months to come.

“I can tell you that I know who it’s gonna be,” Brownell laughs. “We are in the middle of writing it right now.”

With Benedict’s book as number three in the series, there’s a good chance we might watch Luke Thompson take the crown as our leading man next season as he falls in love with Sophie in a Cinderella-inspired story.

However, next season may be better placed with the likes of Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has been a fan-favourite since Bridgerton‘s inception.

There’s also a surprise spanner that some people might not expect, with the likes of Francesca (Hannah Dodd) also a high possibility for Season 4. Dodd has taken over the reins of Francesca for the first time in Season 3, taking over from the recast Ruby Stokes. It’s expected that we’ll see more of her story unravelling this season with her official introduction into society (feathery hat and all!).

While we don’t have concrete answers yet, you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be updating this piece with all the sleuthing we can find.

When is Bridgerton Season 4 released?

Thanks to strikes and pandemics, fans had to wait over two years after Kanthony to see Polin’s story unfold. Two! Years!

While we’re praying that we won’t see that much of a wait this time, we still don’t know when Season 4 will be dropping — but we do know that it’s still being written right now.

“We actually don’t know when it’s gonna drop,” Brownell told Refinery29. “We’re still making sure that we write the best possible script that we can before we start production.”

“But we’re really thrilled with what we’ve been working on,” she continued. “So hold out hope!”

Will future Bridgerton seasons depart from the nooks?

With Brownell shaking up the order of the Bridgerton love stories, fans have been left wondering if there are any more shake-ups coming our way in future seasons.

“I am really not trying to shake things up too much,” Brownell tells us. “I really believe in the vision of the show.”

Brownell explains that if there are departures from the books, it’s in service of the story. “I really want to serve the stories and the books the best way possible,” she says.

“It just naturally felt like, for Penelope and Colin, it made sense to lean into a romantic comedy tropes,” she explains. “So this season does have a bit more humor in it and it has the awkward banter. So that’s something that will feel slightly elevated in terms of being different from last season.”

“I’ll be a kind Bridgerton overlord,” she laughs.

Don’t worry, we might not have answers (yet), but as soon as we’ve got details, you’ll be the first to know.