Top 5 Contenders To Fill Penelope's Shoes As Lady Whistledown In Bridgerton

Bridgerton Season 3 is just around the corner, and fans are eager to see how the storylines of the beloved Bridgerton siblings and their love interests will unfold in new episodes, and how much of Julia Quinn's original novel's arcs will find their way to the screen.

While the cast and crew promise that the new chapter will draw heavily from the source material, it is clear that at least one arc will have to be significantly altered. In the books, Lady Whistledown's column is a harmless hobby of Penelope Featherington that she drops the moment she becomes a Bridgerton.

But in the show, the enigmatic gossip writer is a driving force behind many plot twists and the main narrator with the heartwarming voice of Julie Andrews. So there is no way that Netflix's Bridgerton will cut the Whistledown arc after Season 3.

That leaves room for speculation. Some fans think that Penelope will not be able to continue writing as Colin's wife, so another character could fill her shoes in the Season 3 finale, creating a new mystery in the Bridgerverse.

Fans even have a few candidates for the role of the gossip writer. Here are the top five.

Eloise Bridgerton

This is a pretty obvious choice, as Eloise has been obsessed with the identity of Lady Whistledown for the past two seasons. She is also one of the first to learn that this is her best friend. Of course, at the moment she is angry at Pen for hiding the truth and making some damaging moves, but in the future she might see things from her friend's perspective and help her get the column published or even take it over. After all, the life of a writer would give the fifth Bridgerton the degree of independence she dreams of.

Hyacinth Bridgerton

This name may come as a surprise, as Hyacinth is still a child in the Netflix series. But in Julia Quinn's Bridgerverse, she grows up to be a sassy young lady and fan favorite who could definitely pick up the baton of high society gossip. If there's a time jump before Season 4, she'll be old enough to do it.

Portia Featherington

Portia is known for two things. She is conniving and she loves money. So when her own daughter is revealed to be Lady Whistledown, there seems to be no way that Portia would let such a profitable business end. With her penchant for gossip, social ambition, and close partnership with the housekeeper Mrs. Varley, Lady Featherington is indeed a good candidate for Lady Whistledown's quill.

Bartholomew Brimsley

After the Bridgerton spinoff Queen Charlotte, viewers turned their attention to the Queen's right-hand man. So giving him a bigger arc in future seasons would only benefit everyone. We know Brimsley has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so writing gossip wouldn't be such a surprising hobby for the eagle-eyed royal servant. Or perhaps Charlotte will put him up to it.

Iris Smythe-Smith

This candidate will come as a surprise to Netflix viewers, as we only hear the Smythe-Smiths' name once in the spinoff, and many may have missed it. But for Julia Quinn's readers, Iris makes perfect sense as a new Lady Whistledown.

This character is part of Quinn's book series set in the Bridgerverse, The Smythe-Smith Quartet, which could be adapted as a separate storyline from the main series or even a standalone spinoff. Iris is very similar to Pen. She is a bit of a wallflower, very observant and smart, and has a hard time getting married. So her spinster status might give her a chance to devote herself to Lady Whistledown's sheet.