Read about Phoebe Dynevor’s experience on Bridgerton, from lying to get the role to exiting the show without proper closure for her character.

Phoebe Dynevor lied about riding horses to get the role of Daphne Bridgerton, but ended up taking horseback riding lessons.
Dynevor exited the show after season one, but made a guest appearance in season two, and hasn’t been called for season four.
Dynevor’s exit leaves her character’s story without closure and highlights a flaw in the show’s handling of elder Bridgerton siblings.

When it comes to period drama royalty, nothing quite exists like Bridgerton. The Netflix period drama based on the books by Julia Quinn has waltzed into the hearts and minds of viewers from across the world with its velvet gowns and steamy storylines. Now the series is gearing up for its fourth season, with four more to go.

While each season has its flaws and faults, the most glaring issue with the last and the upcoming season has been the absence of the ‘Diamond’ of the first season, Phoebe Dynevor. Starring as the eldest Bridgerton sister, the actress once told a ‘perfect’ lie that convinced the entire Bridgerton team to cast her, only to later exit the show without a proper sense of closure.

The Bridgertons | Credit: Netflix

Phoebe Dynevor’s perfect lie that won her the Bridgerton role

Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton | Credit: Netflix

Bridgerton, like any other fandom based on a book series, has always been pretty sensitive when it comes to ‘casting.’ While the Netflix series has had its fair share of ‘casting issues’ that have provoked the ire of fans, one thing it did the best was casting the eight Bridgerton siblings.

While all of the actors have been perfect so far in their respective roles (nudge nudge, Jonathan Bailey), Phoebe Dynevor stole the show in season one as Daphne Bridgerton. While she impressed the audience with her portrayal of the ‘diamond of the season,’ getting the role wasn’t really easy for the actress, as she had to cook up a bit of ‘false information’ to get the role.

In an interview with Glamour, the actress revealed she had to lie about riding horses since Englishwomen back in the day often rode horses, and her character, naturally, had to do it too.

I’ve always said — I don’t know why — that I didn’t like horses and was scared of them. But in the audition when they asked me, ‘Have you ridden a horse before?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m amazing. I’ve ridden so many horses. I’d be perfect for this role.’

However, she ended up getting horseback riding lessons with her co-star, the handsome and charming duke, aka Regé-Jean Page. By the end of it all, the actress had gotten rid of her fear and actually started having fun. While Bridgerton made her a horsewoman, she was also made to learn dancing and the piano for the show (via Variety).

Phoebe Dynevor isn’t back in Bridgerton season 4, and it’s daunting

Phoebe Dynevor will not be present in Bridgerton S4 | Credit: Netflix

After the Duke and the Duchess got their happily ever after, Regé-Jean Page exited Bridgerton after season one. But Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne did turn up in season two, helping her brother Anthony get the love of his life. However, since then, Daphne has been missing from the picture.

Back in 2023, when asked about her possible appearance in season 3, the actress revealed to Variety that she had done what she wanted to do with her character, but teased Screen Rant that she might appear for future seasons. However, as we know from her interview with The Direct, the actress hasn’t been called for season 4.

Not only does it leave her character’s story without a satisfying closure, but it also highlights the glaring flaw in Bridgerton, the possibility of elder Bridgerton siblings missing from action in later seasons. Daphne now missing not two but three major weddings (Colin’s, Francesca’s, and Benedict’s) also changes the sibling dynamics that readers had come to love in Julia Quinn’s books.

Not only have these disappearances not been provided with a satisfying excuse but it also makes Daphne’s return seem difficult. With four more Bridgerton seasons to go, Netflix must fix this issue asap, for we cannot have Bridgerton without the OG diamond.

Bridgerton is available to be streamed on Netflix.