Bridgerton season four star teases 'Downton Abbey-style twist'

Anticipation is building for Bridgerton season four as adoring fans hang in suspense, but star Polly Walker has just hinted it will take a "very different" path compared to its predecessors.
Since debuting in 2020, the sumptuous Shonda Rhimes adaptation of Julia Quinn's novels has woven captivating narratives from the steamy liaisons of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Rege-Jean Page), to the enthralling romances involving Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), and Colin (Luke Newton) with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), the real Lady Whistledown.
Although viewers are keenly awaiting Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) courtship with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) in the upcoming instalment, set for a grand release in 2026, there's already titillating gossip to savour.
Polly, who portrays the scheming Lady Featherington, divulged to Collider that the next chapter beams a novel light, adopting elements akin to Downton Abbey by delving into an "upstairs-downstairs" dynamic, offering a glimpse into the lives of the often unobserved household staff.
She shared: "I think this season will be - which we've just finished doing - I think it's a very different tone."
She went on: "Sort of upstairs-downstairs, so you get to know some of the other, you know, the servants, the people who are standing at the door, witnessing it all. You get to hear their stories a bit more," reports the Mirror US.
The actress playing the cunning Lady Featherington humorously remarked: "Lady Featherington is still up to no good."
Yerin, known for her role in The Survivors, teased an intriguing dynamic at a Netflix event eearlier this year, declaring: "I think that because of that whole upstairs-downstairs influence this season, I do think it's going to bring a new, fresh energy and vibe to the show."
Luke chimed in with enthusiasm about veteran characters getting more limelight: "It's wonderful to have characters that have been in the show for a long time, characters like Mrs Wilson or John the footman. Like to suddenly get to see a bit more of them, that shift."
He further revealed his eagerness to explore other story arcs, adding: "Also, with Hyacinth and Gregory, just to really see them going their way forwards into the middle. It's really exciting."
Showrunner Jess Brownell echoed the sentiments, saying: "It's the most exciting part of this, like Luke said, is we have these fantastic actors who have had smaller roles over the years. Mrs Wilson, footman John, Sophie Lamont who plays Celia and Lorraine Ashbourne who plays Mrs Varley in Featherington house."
She elaborated on the storytelling benefits, proclaiming: "We're getting a chance to go downstairs, meet new characters, see new sets and you really learn a lot about the upstairs characters from their downstairs characters. It's a good storytelling device for us, for sure."
Bridgerton returns to Netflix in 2026.