If you’re anything like me, you’re getting hyped for the new season of Bridgerton. While the couples of the previous two seasons have had plenty of chemistry (especially Kate and Anthony of Season 2), nothing can compare to the hot chemistry rolling off of the trailer for Season 3’s Penelope and Colin. Maybe it’s the fact that actors Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton have such great off-screen chemistry. (Have you seen them together in press interviews lately? As you may know, Season 3 of Bridgerton is based on the the fourth novel in Julia Quinn’s series: Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Penelope is a main character throughout the Bridgerton series, even before Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
Season 3 of Bridgerton is finally here, and when I say that I've been waiting for Penelope Featherington's love story for years, I mean it. The upcoming season, which features Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton as co-leads, sees Lady Whistledown herself finally get a chance at love.
The "Pudgy" Penelope in the Books
Often described as “pudgy” and having “baby fat,” her plus size characterization followed her from book to book. And considering that she was seen as a bit of a villain earlier in the series, these descriptions of her fit the unfortunate “fat villain” trope. The hope, of course, is that, by the time Penelope gets her own book, her size wouldn’t be an issue. She deserves love regardless of her weight, right? Alas, Julia Quinn got around this by having Penelope lose weight when it came time for her to find true love. Two stone is nearly 30 pounds-a significant amount of weight for anyone to lose. And so begins a story in which Penelope finally wins the heart of longtime friend Colin Bridgerton.
Of course, this kind of plot isn’t exactly to be celebrated. Where’s the idea that you deserve love no matter your size? Instead, the book seems to show that, if you want to be seen as human, you need to look as close to everyone else as possible-an idea that doesn’t sit right with many people of a modern audience.
If you're not in the loop, let me quickly fill you in: In the fourth book of the series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Penelope is frequently described with words such as "round" and "plump," which isn't a problem… until she loses weight. 13 kilos, to be exact. While BookTokers will argue that Colin's affections didn't sprout for Penelope immediately after her weight loss (he doesn't fall for her until years after she has lost weight), there are still painful threads that will niggle for anyone who has been told that their beauty is correlated with their weight.
Read also: Irreverent Journey to Fitness
"It helped that she'd lost nearly two stone and could now call herself 'pleasantly rounded' rather than 'a hideous pudge'," the author Julia Quinn writes on page 9 about the character Penelope. While this is an internal monologue, it's clear that Penelope's body and how she perceives it has been written in a harmful way, reinforcing an age-old stereotype that women must not be fat - or need to lose weight - before they can be worthy of affection. That Penelope's body is the subject of such ridicule, whether from society or self-imposed, only serves to reinforce harmful stereotypes about larger bodies.
A Modern Makeover: Netflix Ditches the Weight Loss Trope
But it seems that all our worries have been soothed, with the Bridgerton showrunner confirming to Refinery29 Australia that they haven't just abandoned the commentary on Penelope's body - but there's a damn good reason why, too.
"I think Penelope's outer appearance has nothing to do with her story," Jess Brownell, new Bridgerton showrunner tells Refinery29 Australia. "Her story is absolutely about her internal journey - that's what matters."
The show has taken a potentially worrying plotline and rewritten it, even going so far as to not mention Penelope's weight in the show at all, and dumping the weight loss storyline altogether. It shouldn't be a radical decision, yet in a world where fatness is still not accepted, to say absolutely nothing about Penelope's body is an even louder statement.
First, let me be upfront that I, the author of this article, am fat. Not even “pleasantly rounded” as Julia Quinn might describe. Normally I wouldn’t comment on anyone’s body, whether they’re a public figure or not, but, in showing how Nicola Coughlan looks as Penelope from Season 1 to Season 3 I’m not criticizing her size or guessing how much she weighs. I’m celebrating her. Because…I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the woman is gorgeous. The theme of Netflix’s version of the story, at least if the trailer is to be believed, is the almighty glow-up. Rather than a one-sided makeover like everyone’s favorite 1999 rom com, She’s All That, both main characters of Bridgerton Season 3 are getting a glow-up. But, rather than the dreaded weight loss that could have happened to Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope, she looks just about the same weight-but so much better. And Luke Newton’ Colin, too. He’s also gotten his own movie-magic-makeover, thanks again to the hair, makeup, and costume departments. This is nothing new, of course. We’re just thankful that, at the end of the day, the weight loss plot was ditched for the Netflix adaptation.
Read also: How Luke Newton Got in Shape for "Bridgerton"
The Makeover Trope Reimagined
"We do have a makeover trope that we're presenting in the season," Brownell continues. "But we are trying to engage with that trope and make a commentary on it."
While the now infamous 'Bridgerton makeover' is a cornerstone in every season, the show has chosen to approach Penelope's makeover from good old colour theory, as opposed to weight loss. Instead of dressing in yellows and oranges, Penelope wears a deep emerald dress that actually fits and accentuates her body, adding the classic Bridgerton blues to her wardrobe that beautifully contrast with her red hair. No scales in sight, thankfully.
"That makeover doesn't necessarily have the results that Penelope hopes for," Brownell continues. "Instead, it leads her to realise that she's going to have to work a lot harder on her self-love and her self-confidence."
When asked if there is a 'message' that viewers should get from this season of Bridgerton and Penelope's arc from wallflower to romantic lead, Brownell says that it's exactly that. "If there's a message there, I think the message is that - it's about loving oneself and stepping into one's power, stepping into the light and owning who you are in every fabulous way," she says.
Colin's Transformation: Sturdy and Strong
His character Colin Bridgerton "had changed and become a man," Luke explained in People's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive issue published Nov. 14. After all, the third eldest Bridgerton was finally ready to find lasting love in longtime friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
Read also: Representation in Bridgerton
Newton said that prior to taking on the lead role in the Netflix hit's third go-around, he was commonly seen walking around set with a “plate full of everything." He continued, noting some of his favorite snacks: "Like, if there were biscuits, I would just have a plate full of biscuits, or cakes, or scones, or whatever.” It was not until he got the phone call that he would be the lead for Season 3 that he decided it was time for a change.
“Going into Season 3, I wanted to change my lifestyle slightly, become healthier, and just ready to go into this season and feel like I have my energy levels high,” Newton said. “So, first of all, it was about that. And then I got the first script. The first line I saw Benedict says is ‘under what foreign Sun did you apparently get so sturdy?’ So, I was like, 'Right, okay, he's transformed slightly. So, I'm really going to dive into this.' From there, I kind of relished the challenge and enjoyed that whole process…”
Newton turned to meal prep companies that offered a variety of fun and healthy dishes that were high in protein, and low in carbs.
When asked about a typical day of eating on set, Newton told us he would start off the morning with a banana protein shake, then he would intermittently fast until lunch, when he would have his meal kit and sometimes indulge in a sweet treat like a “crumble or cinnamon social,” especially after filming an intimate scene as a reward.
More Than Just a Number on the Scale
It is important to remember that while Coughlan is portraying a larger character, she is actually a UK size 10), it's still a significant moment for anyone who hasn't seen someone who looks like them portrayed in a romantic or sexy light.
Diversity and representation are at the forefront of casting for Bridgerton, and this season gives curvier women an opportunity to see themselves portrayed as love interests on the screen. While it shouldn't be a novelty to see different body types in romantic roles.
The Pressure of Physical Transformation in Hollywood
Luke isn't the only actor to undergo a transformation for his role. He said on Instagram in March 2025 that he currently weighed 205 pounds-up from the 172 pounds he weighed for Roofman (pictured, right).
- Cillian Murphy: To play scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, the Irish actor "had to lose quite a bit of weight," he shared. "He was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes."
- Joaquin Phoenix: For his Joker role, the Oscar winner opened up about his 52-pound weight loss, telling the Associated Press, "Once you reach the target weight, everything changes. Like so much of what's difficult is waking up every day and being obsessed over like 0.3 pounds. Right? And you really develop like a disorder."
- Jake Gyllenhaal: "I'd say my mother was worried," he previously told E! News after losing 30 pounds for Nightcrawler. "I would say she just wanted me to be careful. “I was exhausted mentally, physically. I was hangry,” he said on This Morning. “I was a horrible person to be around. “I wouldn’t recommend doing it at home, by the way,” he continued. “It was definitely not something to take lightly.”
- Jared Leto: The actor and musician nabbed an Oscar for his riveting role in The Dallas Buyers Club. He lost 40 pounds for the role.
- Matthew McConaughey: The Magic Mike hunk dropped 30 pounds to star in The Dallas Buyer's Club-which centered on the real-life story about a man dying from AIDS in the 1980s who treated himself with alternative remedies he smuggled into the United States from Mexico.
- Anne Hathaway: The Les Misérables star took home an Oscar for her role in the musical.
- Christian Bale: He's no stranger to morphing for movie roles. In 2004, he lost more than 60 pounds for his role in The Machinist, and he did it again for the film The Fighter, opposite Mark Wahlberg. He also gained 40 pounds for American Hustle-and lost 70 pounds for Ford v Ferrari.
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