Bridgerton season 4 casts West End newcomer in milestone for inclusivity

Her character Hazel is described as a young maid who has faced a difficult path, but who remains lively, full of energy, and quick to form friendships despite her challenges.

The role comes on the back of McGonigal's acclaimed work on stage, including a key part in the Olivier Award-nominated musical The Little Big Things in 2023 and her role as Abigail in the production of The Crucible at the National Theatre, which she took over for the final weeks of its run.

This will be her most major screen role to date, with her only previous TV credit being one episode of Prime Video sci-fi drama The Power.

She's not the first new name to join the cast for the upcoming season, with Halo star Yerin Ha previously announced to be playing Benedict Bridgerton's love interest Sophie.

But we'll have to wait until 2026 to see either of those new faces in action, with showrunner Jess Brownell previously telling The Hollywood Reporter: "We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly.

"But they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language."

She continued: "And then writing takes a very long time as well, so we're kind of on a two-year pace - we're trying to speed up, but somewhere in the range."

Bridgerton seasons 1-3 are available to watch on Netflix now. You can buy the Bridgerton book series on Amazon.

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