Bridgerton showrunner confirms character’s LGBTQ storyline after fans praise twist

We’re just shy of a week having passed since the third season of the beloved Bridgerton dropped on Netflix - and viewers have been going wild for the twist in one character’s tale.

Of course, things ended rather smoothly for our two leads.

Friends-to-lovers power couple Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) gave in to their love for one another and even managed to navigate scandal with a lot of grace.

The two were married and also went on to welcome a baby boy.

As Bridgerton is based on books series written by Julia Quinn - there are a lot of scenes which were first written in print that viewers simply couldn't wait to see translated onto the screen.

One such scene was the now infamous mirror scene - which saw Colin requesting that Penelope get undressed in front of a mirror so he could admire her beauty before they had sex for the first time.

It was very steamy in the book, and they managed to match that energy perfectly.

Though, not all characters had their novel plot lines followed to a tee.

At the end of season three, we saw Francesca (Hannah Dodd) marry Lord Kilmartin (Victor Alli), as the two delighted in peace and quiet rather than the chaos of the ‘ton.

In the Bridgerton novels, Francesca then meets his cousin, Michael, who sets her whole world spinning as the two fall in love.

Fans were eager to learn where Francesca Bridgerton's storyline would go. (Netflix)

A huge divergence from this was, of course, when Francesca met Lord Kilmartin’s cousin - Michaela, not Michael, portrayed by the incredibly beautiful Masali Baduza.

Francesca got ever so flustered and struggled to get her words out, and it was obvious that there’s a lot of tension on the horizon.

And with the internet up in arms on whether or not this cements Francesca as a member of the LGBTQ+ community - we finally have some confirmation.

Showrunner Jess Brownell has opened up to Teen Vogue about the change in plot - and Francesca’s identity.

She said: “The reveal of Michaela versus Michael, from the books, is something that I've been pitching from season one of the show.

Francesca married Lord Kilmartin. (Netflix)

“My approach to telling a queer story on Bridgerton has been to look to the books for thematic cues.”

Quinn’s novel that focuses on Francesca’s story is titled ‘When He Was Wicked’.

Brownell, who is a queer person, added that there was no intention to 'just insert a queer character for queer character's sake', instead that she aimed to 'to tell a story that accurately reflects a queer experience.'

Brownell related to Francesca’s book, and so this plot line made sense for her to follow.

She shared: “Her book is very much about feeling different, and not really knowing why.

The arrival of Michaela has paved the way for a queer storyline. (Netflix)

“In the book, I think it has a lot to do with her just being an introvert, but as a queer woman, a lot of my queer experience, and I think a lot of my friends' [experiences have] been about that sense of feeling different, and navigating what that means.

“Francesca's book resonated [with me] in the way that it did. It felt like a natural adaptation."

As for those who are worried that changing the plotline does the novels a disservice - Brownell noted she got Quinn’s permission.

Ultimately, she noted that she is very excited to portray ‘queer joy’ on screen.

We can’t wait to tune in!

Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix.