Nicola Coughlan Just Gave Us A "Delightful & Gorgeous" 'Bridgerton' Season 4 Update

Nicola Coughlan promises "lots more romance" in 'Bridgerton' season 4.

When asked what fans can expect from Bridgerton season 4, Nicola Coughlan promises, "Lots more romance."

“We got new leads this year, Luke Thompson, who we’re used to," she says. "Yerin Ha, who’s new and gorgeous, sort of a Cinderella story."

In the upcoming storyline, Luke and Yerin's characters Benedict and Sophie meet at a masked ball and have to defy all the odds to be together. Swoon! But while they're the central focus of the season, we'll still see plenty from Penelope.

"In terms of me, I’ve got a ginger baby," Nicola continues. "[Penelope's] a married woman, she’s a writer, but it’s delightful and gorgeous as always."

“It’s very fun to be playing a happily married person with a very cute baby,” Nicola told Good Morning America at the TIME100 Next Gala in New York City on October 9. “It feels like they went through all their strife last time. So they get to come back and just be in love and have the best time together.”

Both Phoebe Dynevor and Simone Ashley saw a decrease in screen time after their characters got married and had their first child, but Penelope has played a prominent role in the series since the beginning. It sounds like the show could make an unexpected exception and continue to feature her (and the baby!) even though her love story has concluded. At least, that's what I'm hoping!

While Penelope and Colin will be busy enjoying their happily ever after, Coughlan says Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha are "hard at work being our leads this time," adding, "they're doing an amazing, amazing job."

And while it's no secret fans of the show have been hoping for a queer plotline, Nicola Coughlan revealed just how much the cast has wanted it too. "I love Bridgerton because it's a show that tells all different types of love stories," she says. “I just know that it’s going to be done so well by Hannah [Dodd] and Masali [Baduza],” she adds. “Whenever their time comes, they’re going to be ready, and they’re going to knock it out of the park.”

The end of Bridgerton season 3 introduced us (and Dodd's Francesca) to Michaela Stirling, a gender-bent twist on her love interest from the books, Micheal Stirling. "It makes perfect sense that Michael Stirling is Michaela Stirling in the show," one X user tweeted. "There's no way a man could ever deliver what Michael Stirling was in the books. Only a woman can serve like this."

Ahead of the junior season of the hit show, Nicola Coughlan exclusively revealed to Brit + Co that she loved seeing Penelope come out of her shell, and gain more confidence, throughout Bridgerton season 3.

“It felt really different this time, I think just because she's finally a grown up and I love coming back to a show and playing a character again, and finding the new sides to them," Coughlan says. "She's becoming a woman and finding her self-worth — that side of her I really loved getting to play. It was great."

And she didn't just find her self-confidence — she found the courage to ditch Lady Whistledown once and for all, stepping into the spotlight just the way she is. And it doesn't hurt that she looks dang good doing it.

"The glow!" Coughlan's Big Moodco-star Lydia West adds. "You look so stunning. [I love] the different wigs."

"When the wig comes off, it's so sad because you just like under a wig, you just look like a little wet rat and it's all your hair is just all slicked back," Coughlan jokes. Well, we've already had a Rat Boyfriend summer — maybe it can be a Rat Girlfriend summer this year?