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The big Lady Whistledown reveal in Bridgerton nearly played out very differently. According to Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington) at Netflix’s 2021 TUDUM event, the Season 1 finale almost pointed the finger at someone else entirely—Cressida Cowper—rather than unmasking Penelope.
How Bridgerton’s Biggest Secret Almost Took a Surprising Turn
Yep, the mean girl who thrives on drama was almost given the title of the Ton’s biggest gossip writer. But the creators went with the reveal we all know in a last-minute decision. Now, let’s dive into what went down and why this alternate ending would have completely changed the Bridgerton universe.
Eloise Bridgerton wasn’t the only one shocked by Penelope’s secret. Coughlan herself had no clue she was playing Lady Whistledown until after she got the role. And the craziest part? She found out through an internet fan forum! In her own words, the English actress said:
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“I found out bizarrely because when we auditioned, we knew very little about the show. It was after getting cast that I found out, and I found out on an internet fan forum. I realized there was this huge fandom behind these books. It was like this whole other world opened up. But, they were like ‘When Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown’ and I went ‘WHAT?’”
Bridgerton initially wasn’t going to unmask Lady Whistledown in Season 1. In fact, they even shot an alternate ending that framed Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) as the mysterious gossip writer. Turns out, we came very close to a completely different reveal.
Nicola Coughlan said they shot an alternate version of the final episode where Whistledown’s identity was ambiguous. “It was a reshoot in July, so they had filmed a different ending. They were going to make it seem like it was Cressida Cowper,” she said.
Cressida as Lady Whistledown? Hard to imagine. Sure, she thrives on drama, but does she have the sharp wit and subtle scheming to deliver those legendary gossip columns? Probably not. Penelope, on the other hand, was born for it—clever, underestimated, and always observing from the sidelines.
Thankfully, the showrunners stuck with Julia Quinn’s vision. Rather than stretching out the mystery, they delivered the unforgettable carriage scene—Penelope pulling back her hood and claiming her crown as the Ton’s ultimate puppet master.
And honestly, that reveal was pure perfection. Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton) mentioned that the cast had always known Lady Whistledown’s true identity thanks to the books—but for casual viewers? It was a jaw-dropper in the best way.
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