Bridgerton has announced a newbie coming to season three

And she'll be taking a central role.

We're going to be seeing more of Francesca in the upcoming third season of Bridgerton - but she might look a little different than we remember. Anatomy of a Scandal star Hannah Dodd will be taking on the role of the elusive Bridgerton sibling, who was previously played by Ruby Stokes. Stokes left the show during the second season to star in another Netflix series, Lockwood and Co. So far in the show, Francesca Bridgerton has seemed a bit more mysterious than the rest of family. She was only seen twice briefly in season one, and then appeared in the first three episodes of season two - before disappearing without explanation. However, it's expected she will take on a more central role in season three. Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen told TVLine in March. “I love Francesca, but we lost her midway through season two. After exhausting all other options, she unfortunately had to come out due to reasons beyond our control.” If the show's plot continues to stick to the book's arc, Francesca's story will involve a taboo affair with Michael Stirling (a character who has not yet been casting in Netflix's adaptation) - so fans can expect an intense love story to unfold. "Francesca Bridgerton is a bit of a mystery within her chatty, extroverted family," Netflix said in a statement. "Despite her reserved nature, she goes along to get along when it comes to society affairs, fortified with a dry wit and pragmatism that confound the fickle ton yet seem to draw attention when she least desires it." Bridgerton became the most-watched show on Netflix when it was released on Christmas Day 2020. At the time, the streaming platform said it had been viewed by a record 82 million households in just 28 days.