Bridgerton season three is finally here, and fans already can't get enough of all the excitement. If, like us, you have been eagerly scanning the trailers or are already binging the first few episodes, you might have noticed one member of the cast looking noticeably different.
That's Francesca Bridgerton, the sixth child and third daughter in the Bridgerton family. In season one and two, she was played by Ruby Stokes, and had a minor role in the show compared to her siblings. In season one, Francesca spent most of the time away in Bath where she was visiting her Aunt Winnie. She only appeared in three episodes in season two and then disappeared as the rest of the Kate and Anthony drama played out.
For season three, Ruby Stokes has been replaced by actress Hannah Dodd, who will take on the role of Francesca. This season, the youngest Bridgerton sibling will play a much bigger part in proceedings in the ton. She makes her debut into society by being presented to Queen Charlotte, so we can expect her own romances to take centre stage alongside the main relationship between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
Hannah, 28, is no stranger to the screen, having starred in a number of shows including Hulu's Find Me In Paris and Netflix's Enola Holmes 2. However, she told Netflix Tudum that filming for the role was 'absolutely terrifying' because it was so early on in production, adding 'There was a little bit of life imitating art there. She was nervous and I was nervous. She was watching people, and I was watching people to learn. We were kind of going through it together.'
Why did Ruby Stokes leave Bridgerton?
Reportedly actress Ruby Stokes had other acting commitments that led to her being unable to fulfil the Bridgerton filming schedule. She had a pre-existing commitment to another Netflix show, Lockwood & Co, where she stars as the main character. It appears her filming schedule clashed with the period drama and the two productions were not able to come up with a solution. Lockwood & Co was cancelled by May 2023, but by this point, Hannah had stepped into the new role and filming for Bridgerton season three had already concluded.
Executive Producer and Show Runner Chris Van Dusen explained the characters season 2 absence to TV Line at the time. 'I love Francesca, but we lost her midway through season two' he said. 'After exhausting all other options, she unfortunately had to come out due to reasons beyond our control. Perhaps season three will be the charm.'
In an interview with WhattoWatch, Ruby detailed the reasons behind her deciding to leave the show. 'Leaving was always going to be a difficult choice, but something about Lucy spoke to me. It was a chance to explore a very different character and I’ve learned a great deal playing a young adult at the helm of a show. I just felt it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,' she said.
We should expect to see more of Hannah Dodd in upcoming seasons, as Francesca Bridgerton and her quest for love features more and more in upcoming season. Netflix's Bridgerton follows the order of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton eight part book series. As the sixth oldest child, Francesca is the star of Julia Quinn's the sixth book 'When He Was Wicked' and presumably season six. Therefore, she will hopefully be able to feature more as Francesca when that time comes.
Netflix have renewed Bridgerton for season four already. So, as long as the show remains a standout in pop culture and a fan favourite, all the Bridgerton siblings should get their moment in the spotlight.
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