Bridgerton's second series is almost upon us and the excitement is mounting for Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) to take the spotlight in his quest for love – though this finds him battling his head and heart with the arrival of the Sharma sisters, Kate and Edwina.
Simone Ashley, who plays leading lady Kate, has shared her experience of taking on a role portraying Regency England, as well as the challenges she encountered along the way. Notably, when it came to her costume, wearing a corset was a revelation and she admitted she made a grave error on her first day.
"On my first day, I was like, 'OK, first day as a leading lady, got to eat lots of food, be really energised'. So, I had this massive portion of salmon and that's when I needed to be sick, basically because I was wearing the corset," she told Glamour Magazine.
"I realised when you wear the corset, you just don't eat. It changes your body. I had a smaller waist very momentarily. Then the minute you stop wearing it, you're just back to how your body is. I had a lot of pain with the corset, too, I think I tore my shoulder at one point!"
Related: Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey breaks down Anthony's journey in series 2
But this wasn't the only revelation she had on the Bridgerton journey, as Simone said she learnt a valuable lesson from her character in terms of standing up for herself.
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"I'm learning to be more headstrong," the Sex Education star said. "I'm quite an emotional person, and I think that's a really great thing, but part of growing up is learning how to control your emotions and be stronger in your mind. Kate's really mature and I've learned a lot from her in that sense.
"Maybe I can sometimes be a bit of a people pleaser, but [Kate] would encourage people to speak their truth, and I really like that about her."
Opening up on what being cast as a lead in the new series – which has been widely praised for its colourblind casting – means to her, Simone said that seeing herself represented on screen is something she's thrilled about, even more so being a period drama.
Related: Bridgerton's Secret Cinema immersive ball tickets are on sale now
"I didn't really watch period dramas much because I felt like I couldn't relate to them, maybe because I couldn't see myself within one. And then Bridgerton came along.
"I just always saw myself for my personality and not for the colour of my skin. Representation matters, and yes, there is a minority that needs to be represented more, and I'm very aware of that… Everyone should be seen. I think we can all relate to each other in some way. [But I want] to be seen as an actress who has talent and has a brain, and it just doesn't matter what I look like."
Bridgerton season 1 is now available to watch on Netflix. Season 2 will premiere on March 25. Secret Cinema with Fever Present Bridgerton is open now in a secret outer London location. To purchase tickets, head here.
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