Bridgerton fans spot a clue which hints at who the next lead will be ...

The Bridgerton cast: Group picture at a special screening of Bridgerton Season 3 - Part Two at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

Bridgerton viewers may be excited awaiting the release of the second part of series three today - but there is bad news for those looking ahead to the fourth season.

Speaking at the British premiere for the latest release last night, showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed it is looking like a two-year wait before the next series will appear on screens. She told The Hollywood Reporter, ‘We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language.

Claudia Jessie and Luke Thompson attend the special screening of Bridgerton Season 3 - Part Two at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on June 12, 2024 in London

‘And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up but somewhere in that range.’

Despite the lengthy wait in store for viewers, Brownell said she is ‘really excited’ about what she is writing. She said, 'I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writers room’s best work. We’ve just really gelled our collaboration, and we’re firing on all cylinders so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.’

So who could the lead to the next series be? While Brownell wouldn't be drawn, fans have speculated it is most likely to be either Benedict (Luke Newton) or Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie). Benedict's love story unfolds in the third series of the Julia Quinn novels, An Offer from a Gentleman, and closely follows the plot of Cinderella.

Some have theorised the current series is setting up Benedict as the lead, with the final episode of the latest release appearing to confirm the theories. In one scene, Benedict and Eloise discuss their plans to see one another at their mother's Masquerade Ball in a few months time. It seems to be a bit of a teaser for true fans of Quinn's original books, who will note that the ball is where Benedict meets his love interest Sophie Beckett in An Offer from a Gentleman.

Bridgerton: Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Viewers have been quick to note the connection, with many taking to X, the site previously known as Twitter, to comment on the scene. One person wrote, ‘The masquerade ball is coming! Eloise season foreshadow! Benedict-sophie is coming! physically CANNOT WAIT for season 4!’

Another wrote, ‘Benedict season 4 here we come! between the mention of the masquerade ball, his conversation with Eloise on the swings and the voiceover talking about looking toward the future with only him in shot…Sophie is coming!’ A third added, ‘Next season is definitely Benedict, especially with all that talk of the masquerade ball.’