Alison Hammond has stunned fans by revealing she has bagged role on Bridgerton – as insiders warn she will ‘steal every scene’ ahead of her season five debut.
The This Morning presenter, 51, entered the Bridgerton universe this season as the host of its new official podcast on Netflix, recapping the drama and interviewing the cast.
And it has been reported that Bridgerton bosses are such a fan of Alison they want her to make a cameo in series five – and believe she’ll be a scene stealer.
Speaking at a Q&A with series four leads Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson, Alison teased to an audience full of fans: ‘You won’t know this yet, but we’ve just been speaking and apparently there’s a new character!’
It was at this point executive producer Tom Verica said: ‘Alison opens Season Five.’
The announcement reportedly sparked squeals of excitement from the audience as Alison proudly said: ‘That is where I belong.’
A show insider told The Sun: ‘Alison hit it off with the show execs and the cast who adore her.
‘Her podcast and presentation went down well with the creative team.
‘She makes them laugh, is just a natural on and off camera drawing the audience in with her warmth and candour, and they think it would be fun to write her into one of the episodes.’
The most recent series of the hit regency drama Bridgerton, which returned to screens earlier this year, saw Nicola Coughlan’s Lady Penelope waving goodbye to her post as the resident ton gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown.
But as the fourth season came to a close, viewers were left delighted when the writer’s voice rung out again – signalling a new writer taking over.
‘Are you perhaps feeling a little shock?’ the new Whistledown, voiced by Julie Andrews, said. ‘You thought I was gone for good, but far too much transpires for this author to remain silent.
‘It is assuredly a reunion rooted in care and love. Though this time with a very different author.’
The identity of the mystery new writer has so far been kept under wraps, but it hasn’t stopped the show’s huge fandom from making their guesses at the identity.
Dozens of viewers have pointed out that the new Lady Whistledown is speaking more colloquially than before, perhaps pointing to a lower-class author.
While others have hinted at the head of society herself, Queen Charlotte, and her band of ladies-in-waiting – given she did admit she loves a good gossip, and might know exactly what her subjects want to hear.
Nonetheless, the slight change in voice has had the Ton talking, with one fan taking to social media to write: ‘I don’t quite have the vocabulary to describe this but Julie Andrews’ narration sounds completely different at the end of Season 4…’
Another agreed: ‘It’s to play on the fact that a new Whistledown is taking over!’
One of the most popular fan theories is that Hyacinth is set to take over.
Surprisingly, of all the people who were upset to see Penelope wave goodbye to her much-loved gossip column, it was Hyacinth, played by Florence Hunt, who was most distressed by the news.
The youngest Bridgerton sister has been busy preparing for her debut in the most recent season, and with Lady Whistledown retiring, nobody would be writing about her first entry into society.
She also happens to tick some of the boxes, being curious, observant and clearly wowed by the glamorous social games of the ton.
Another frontrunner is Lady Penwood, known better by fans as Cressida Cowper, who escaped marriage to a wealthy elderly man, a distant relative of the late Lord Penwood.
And in order to re-insert herself into society, Cressida and her husband moved back into London in the Penwood residence, hoping to gain favour, influence and relevance again through the Lady Whistledown column.
It didn’t go too well, with Penelope instead using her final column to announce her departure rather than heap praise on Cressida as she might have hoped.
It would make her the perfect candidate to want to take over in order to re-shape the way society sees her after her time away from the ton.