Regé-Jean Page’s sudden departure from Bridgerton may have shocked fans – but his co-star Adjoa Andoh was not surprised.
It was announced earlier this month that Page, who played lead character, the Duke of Hastings, in the Netflix hit, will not be returning for the show’s second season.
Instead, the focus will be placed on Jonathan Bailey’s Lord Anthony Bridgerton.
Adjoa, who plays Lady Danbury, told E!’s Daily Pop: “We’re following the overriding framework of Julia Quinn’s beautiful novels. There are eight Bridgerton children: one down, seven to go. Season two, it’s Anthony Bridgerton [who is the focus] so there you are. That’s the arc of the show.”
She added: “We all love Regé and we’re all going to miss Regé, but it’s not a huge surprise.”
According to Page, the actor only ever signed up to be in one season, with the next series set to adapt Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me.
Since the show’s debut in December 2020, the actor has gained a huge amount of popularity worldwide and was, among other things, tapped up to host Saturday Night Live in the US, and to read a bedtime story on CBeebies in the UK.
He is also rumoured to be the next James Bond, with speculation having intensified so much around his involvement that betting has been suspended.
Betway spokesperson Chad Yeomans said: “Following the announcement that Regé-Jean Page has left his role as Simon Basset, the mysterious young suitor in Bridgerton, all betting on the next James Bond market has been suspended.”
Bridgerton is expected to return to Netflix in 2022.
