Bridgerton has found its season 2 leading lady: Sex Education’s Simone Ashley

Important news for Bridgerton fans: It looks like Anthony Bridgerton is about to meet his match.

The mega-popular Netflix period romance has found its leading lady for season 2: Sex Education’s Simone Ashley. She’ll play Kate Sharma, the woman who is destined to steal Anthony’s heart.

Season 2 will be based on the second of author Julia Quinn’s series of eight novels, one focused on each of the titular family’s eight siblings. Entitled The Viscount Who Loved Me, it follows the story of Anthony’s search for a wife in the same way that The Duke and I recounted the story of Daphne and Simon’s romance.

Ashley’s casting means that Bridgerton will continue its unconventional choices when it comes to race. In Quinn’s novel, Anthony’s love interest is white and her name is actually Kate Sheffield. Here, Kate and her family have been specifically conceived by the series’ creative team as being of Indian descent, hence the change in her surname.

According to Netflix’s description of her character, Kate is “a smart, headstrong young woman who suffers no fools — Anthony Bridgerton very much included”. Um, sign us up for those obvious enemies to lovers vibes immediately, thanks.

Because if things follow the novel, this is not going to be a case of love at first sight. In fact, it is actually Kate’s sister that Anthony will first set himself after, and he and Kate actually have something of an initially antagonistic relationship.

Bridgerton Season 2 is slated to go into production this spring, so Ashley’s casting is likely not the last new addition we’ll hear about in the coming weeks.  From Kate’s family to others in Anthony’s immediate orbit, there will likely be plenty of new faces in the ton next season.

Are you looking forward to more Bridgerton? What are you hoping to see in season 2? Sound off in the comments.