While we all knew Bridgerton season 2 wasn't going to feature The Duke of Hastings, fans of the Netflix original have been surprised by another character's absence: Francesca Bridgerton.
Despite the spotlight being on her brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) - and the Bridgerton backstory getting some major airtime - the sixth sibling is basically nowhere to be seen.
While Francesca (played by Ruby Stokes) stars in the first three episodes of season two as part of the Bridgerton family, she disappears towards the end of the series, and now creator Chris Van Dusen has explained why.
"I love Francesca," he told TVLine. "But we lost her midway through season two. After exhausting all other options, she unfortunately had to come out due to reasons beyond our control. Perhaps season three will be the charm.”
Due to filming conflicts, actor Ruby had to leave the Bridgerton set to film supernatural thriller series Lockwood & Co, a Netflix adaptation of the YA book series. In it, she plays the lead Lucy Carlyle, which is why it makes sense that she had to prioritise it. The series is due to launch later this year.
Still, that didn't stop Ruby from sharing a series of behind-the-scenes shots from filming on Instagram, with many hoping Francesca will be back and better than ever for season 3.
If the Bridgerton adaptations continue to follow Julia Quinn's novels, Francesca will take centre stage in the sixth series, based on the book When He Was Wicked. We'll be ready and waiting when the time comes!
Bridgerton season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
