Simone Ashley Said "Kanthony" Will Be In Bridgerton Season 3

Bridgerton Season 1 came in with a built-in fandom from the romance novels it’s based on, a massive marketing push, and a Christmas Day release in 2020. But even so, no one expected it to hit quite as big as it did. Moreover, the producers did not realize how much the fandom would ship Simon and Daphne, nor how vocal viewers would be when they learned Regé-Jean Page would not return for Season 2. Since then, fans have been worried this one-season-and-done trend would continue, leaving many to wonder whether Simone Ashley, who plays Kate in Season 2, will be in Bridgerton Season 3 once her romance with Anthony was over.

Warning: Spoilers for Bridgerton Season 2 follow. Thankfully, Bridgerton’s production studio, Shondaland, is not in the habit of making the same mistake twice. Since Season 2’s release, Ashley has confirmed she plans to play Kate in future seasons of Bridgerton. (The show is currently renewed through Season 4.) “We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” Ashley told Deadline.

She also confirmed this to E!. "There will be a post-marriage Kanthony story for sure," she otld the publication. "I'm super excited ... to just play with the Anthony and Kate story now that they're loved up and they've kind of sorted themselves out."

Season 2 of the series did not adhere nearly as closely to the books as Season 1. The first round of episodes followed Daphne and Simon’s story almost to the letter, including marrying them off halfway through the series and showing the couple, er, coupling all over Simon’s estate. Anthony and Kate likewise marry in haste on the page and spend oodles of time in bed afterward, not-really-repenting in leisure, as it were. But the show changed that up, creating a love triangle with Kate’s sister Edwina that kept the couple apart until the final episode.

That means viewers didn’t see much of Kate and Anthony being totally in love like readers got to enjoy. Speaking to Deadline, Ashley said she hopes that changes with Season 3. “In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end,” Ashley said. “I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.”

Ashley also hopes that, like Daphne, Kate gets to show how hard she works at being Viscountess and how her character’s strength comes into play in that role. “She’s in charge of the household now, and she’s got big boots to put on. I think she can do it,” she told Deadline. “I’m just excited for her to have a home and to have a family. I’m excited to see her grow. I think I’d like to see Kate being much braver and less headstrong and more heart strong.”

Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix. Season 3 is expected to follow in 2023.