Bridgerton Season 5 Will Be Francesca's Story

The social season will continue on! Netflix once again showed its favor for everyone’s favorite regency drama by giving Bridgerton an early renewal back in the summer of 2025. And it’s not just one more season that’s confirmed, but two. Bridgerton is officially getting both Season 5 and Season 6, which seems like a pretty promising forecast for superfans hoping all eight of Julia Quinn’s romance novels will end up being adapted for the series. More importantly, the network has finally revealed which book is being adapted next.

Netflix made the renewal announcement with a little help from the ton’s most trustworthy source of news: Lady Whistledown. The anonymous author informed her loyal readers in a note posted to the show’s social media: “Bridgerton shall return for Seasons 5 and 6. So celebrate accordingly.”

The fourth season centered on Benedict Bridgerton’s love story with Sophie Baek. In its final scene, it emphatically teased either Eloise or Francesca as the Season 5 lead, as Eloise expressed brief interest in no longer being a spinster, and Francesca pondered if love could ever be an option again after the death of her husband, John.

So, which sister will take center stage in Seasons 5? After narrowing down the options, Bridgerton has finally revealed its next diamond.

Get Ready For Francesca And Michaela’s Love Story

About a month after Season 4 ended, Netflix announced that the fifth season will center on Francesca, who will spark a romance with her late husband’s cousin Michaela while they both grieve John. The first teaser shows the two women subtly reaching for each other’s hand while grinning on a balcony.

The Season 6 Lead Has Also Been Confirmed

Francesca taking Season 5 is yet another example of the Bridgerton TV adaptation changing up the order of Quinn’s novels. Eloise’s book actually precludes Francesca’s on the page, but much like how the series flipped Colin and Benedict’s stories, the middle sisters are also switching things up.

Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed at the beginning of 2026 that Eloise and Francesca would be the leads of Seasons 5 and 6, but would not reveal in which order. So, now that Francesca is officially Season 5’s main character, that means Eloise will get Season 6.