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The New ‘Bridgerton’ Male Lead Has Revealed An Unusual Sex-Scene Prop That Makes Things ‘Less Awkward’

Bridgerton‘s second season is nearly upon us, and the Shondaland-fueled trailer has promised more scandal and tons of racy scenes, as the viewers demand. There are ways, of course, for the show to pull this off, beyond the item that John Oliver suspects (i.e., “jizzing in blankets”). and there’s a new leading man (The Duke is somewhere else these days) onboard this season. Actually, Lord Anthony Bridgerton maneuvered around in the background in the first round of episodes, but this season, his love life is front and center. He needs a wife, dammit, and the show’s not about to give him an easy path to finding the right fit for him.

As such, actor Jonathan Bailey’s been doing the rounds, and he’s answering the questions on everyone’s mind about the sex scenes. There are numerous such instances on the way, and Bailey told Radio Times that a special prop is the secret to realism while also, uh, minding the gap between the actors. “It’s amazing how that whole industry has just come on, even in a year,” he related. “There are new tricks to the trade [like] little cushions, and it’s amazing what you can do with a half-inflated netball.”

Tell us more.

“If there are two people doing a sex scene, the rule is they must have three barriers separating them,” Bailey further explained. “And there are certain acts where a half-inflated netball can allow for movement without having to connect physically. It’s pretty silly, really, and we have some hilarious moments, but it makes it less awkward.”

And that’s how the magic happens. Also, netballs > corsets, for sure.

Bridgerton (along with Lady Whistledown) returns on March 25.