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Any Bridgerton season 5 book changes have yet to be shared with leading lady Hannah Dodd.
“We’ve just lost John at the end of [last season]. [My] babes died, which is obviously very sad,” Dodd, 30, told Peaky Blinders’ Jay Lycurgo in a Netflix interview on Thursday, March 26. “She’s on her own and she’s got to work out how to start again, so that’s quite an exciting place to start.”
Netflix confirmed earlier this week that Dodd’s Francesca will star in Bridgerton season 5.
“I have no idea what they’re going to come up with, but it’s very exciting,” Dodd quipped. “It’s Franchaela’s turn [in] season 5!”
Francesca married her first husband, John Stirling (Victor Alli), at the end of season 3. John ultimately died after suffering a ruptured cerebral aneurysm the next season.
Bridgerton is adapted from author Julia Quinn’s eight-book series of the same name, each following a different Bridgerton sibling’s journey to find love. Francesca’s book, When He Was Wicked, takes place after John’s death as she eventually moves on with his cousin Michael. The earl’s cousin was recast and gender-swapped as Michaela (Masali Baduza) in the Netflix series.
The concept of changing Michael to Michaela soon sparked backlash from a cohort of Bridgerton book fans, which showrunner Jess Brownell has since addressed.
“I’m very happy for people to discuss and debate the show and our approach to adapting the books,” Brownell told Tudum on Tuesday, March 24. “I want to state really plainly, there is no place for homophobia or racism or any form of bigotry in the Bridgerton world. Bridgerton is about love and inclusivity.”
Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza. Zoe McConnell/ Netflix
She continued, “Masali and Hannah and all of our cast and crew deserve nothing but positivity and love. It’s been beautiful to see the way fans have already started rallying around them, and I can’t wait to watch that love grow.”
Author Quinn, 56, has also blessed the onscreen twist.
“I expected some disappointment, [but] I didn’t expect people, like, calling me names and saying like, ‘Oh, go deposit your big fat check,’ and, ‘You sold out. You’re a terrible person,’” Quinn exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025. “It’s just, like, if you can’t handle it, there’s always the book. I’m not going to rewrite the book, and you can have one of each.”
According to Quinn, Francesca’s sapphic romance doesn’t lessen her affection for John.
Bridgerton surprised book fans by changing Francesca’s future love interest from Michael to Michaela, but the show’s creative team is excited about the meaningful swap before they lead season 5. Season 3 offered Francesca (Hannah Dodd) a much larger role — following a recasting — where viewers watched her fall in love with John (Victor […]
“She does [love John], trust me, and that needed to be an important part of the story that both she and Michaela are really mourning him, because that’s the crux of the story,” Quinn explained. “[In] When He Was Wicked, they both feel terribly guilty because they both loved this person. … I think it’s gonna be a heart-wrenching, emotional season, which is what When He Was Wicked was.”
Bridgerton season 5, which will take place over eight episodes, takes place years after the events of season 4 and John’s death.
“Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons,” a logline reads. “But when John’s cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
The first four seasons of Bridgerton are currently streaming on Netflix.
