Here's why Phoebe Dynevor won't return for Bridgerton season 3

Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, who has played Daphne Bridgerton in the first two seasons, will not be returning for season 3.

Filming on the hotly-anticipated third season of Bridgerton is well under way. The first season of the Regency-era drama focused on Daphne and her blossoming romance with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (played by Regé-Jean Page).

Her role became smaller in season 2 as the attention shifted from Daphne to a new Bridgerton sibling: eldest brother and dashing bachelor Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and his new love interest, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

There’s a simple reason why Dynevor’s Daphne won’t be returning: she’s had her fill of festivities and must now respectfully decline any invitations from the ton.

Instead, the spotlight will fall on Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (portrayed by Nicola Coughlan) in season 3, as their romance finally gets off the ground.

The first season dropped in December 2020 and quickly became one of the streamer’s most-watched original shows. The show was quickly renewed for a second season after its debut. Season 2 beat its own season 1 as it has become the most-watched show in English on Netflix garnering 627.11 million hours of viewership.