Bridgerton has cast West End star Gracie McGonigal in the regency drama's upcoming fourth season.
The anticipated next instalment of the hit Netflix show will this time see Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) love story take centre stage, with Yerin Ha making her debut as romantic interest Sophie Baek.
The series has now added another new character, with McGonigal set to take on the role of a young maid named Hazel.
According to RadioTimes, Hazel has "faced a difficult path" but remains "lively, full of energy, and quick to form friendships despite her challenges".
McGonigal's casting marks a milestone moment for the show as she becomes the first cast member with a congenital limb deficiency.
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It also marks McGonigal's first major on-screen role, having previously appeared only in a single episode of Prime Video's The Power – though she has starred in West End productions such as The Crucible and The Little Big Things.
The third season of Bridgerton wrapped up back in June, but fans will be in for a bit of wait for season four as showrunner Jess Brownell previously said it may be two years before we return to Regency London.
"We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film, then they have to be edited, then they have to be dubbed into every language," she said after season three aired its final episodes.
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"And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we're kind of on a two-year pace. We're trying to speed up but somewhere in that range."
However, fans were offered a first-look teaser video and images from season four earlier this year, teasing the first meeting between Benedict and Sophie at an extravagant masquerade ball.
Bridgerton seasons 1-3 are streaming on Netflix, along with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Read more Bridgerton news on our dedicated homepage
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
