See all the photos from the Bridgerton cast's EW cover shoot

01 of 20

A Regency Slumber Party

Bridgerton March 2022 Cover — Zoe McConnell for EW

Charitha Chandran (left), Nicola Coughlan (center), and Claudia Jessie (right) take Bridgerton's bed hopping quite literally in a suite at the Lanesborough, one of London's most exclusive hotels, for EW's March cover shoot. Sitting on Hyde Park Corner, the hotel is just a stone's throw away from Grosvenor Square and the chalky, tree-lined crescent streets once home to the real members of the ton. The hotel suites are wood-paneled and boast extravagant four-poster beds. There's even a button to summon the butler in every room. For Edwina Sharma (Chandran), Penelope Featherington (Coughlan), and Eloise Bridgerton (Jessie), it's the perfect place to let loose (and — given those Schuyler Sisters-hued dresses — work, work).

02 of 20

All Those Rumors Are Exhausting

Lady Whistledown's column and the gossip economy remain at the heart of Bridgerton in season 2, potentially provoking conversations about something we often perceive quite negatively. "There's a real sexism toward gossip," notes Jonathan Bailey, who portrays Anthony Bridgerton (not pictured here). "Bridgerton re-frames gossip as a connecting force. It adds an energy that brings people together; the Bridgertons rally around each other. The dramatic and emotional evolution is driven by gossip."

03 of 20

No Pictures, Please

You're going out a doorman and you're coming back a star... The Lanesborough's trusty doorman got in on the fun, jumping into frame after being recruited into the shot to help Coughlan (Penelope) and Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) enter the hotel. The entire Bridgerton cast found themselves thrust into a white-hot spotlight with the record-breaking success of season 1 that resulted in Saturday Night Live bits, a TikTok musical, and Kim Kardashian's profession of love for the show. "I don't know what could happen to top it all in season 2," says Coughlan, adding with a wink, "I could host SNL; I'm free."

04 of 20

Party Like It's 1813

"Spring break!" proclaims Claudia Jessie, as she mimes smashing a champagne bottle. That party atmosphere permeates the EW set at the Lanesborough, as members of the Bridgerton cast cavort in a frothy ballroom that feels more wedding cake than wedding venue. A gloriously arrayed table boasts popcorn, pizza, donuts, and more. The decidedly un-Regency track "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" blasts through the speakers, while photographer Zoe McConnell snaps pics of Coughlan taking a selfie with her castmates in a meta moment. (There's no need to gossip about why Bailey and Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma, aren't pictured — the two spoke to EW for the cover story but were unavailable for the shoot.)

05 of 20

All the Juicy Details

"If you look at the evolution of gossip," says Chandran, "it was a way for women to communicate and distribute information and knowledge. It was about survival and women supporting each other." As Edwina Sharma, Chandran will find herself at the heart of Bridgerton's drama and Lady Whistledown's columns this season.

06 of 20

Money, Money, Money...

Coughlan plays with a money gun that gets accidentally placed in a suggestive position more than once (on brand for Bridgerton, let's be real). Her character, Penelope, earns a pretty penny from her writings as Lady Whistledown, but she largely has to keep her earnings secret and hidden under her floorboards. "Penelope has a lot of money," Coughlan says, commenting on the Featherington family's dire financial straits due to their late patriarch's substantial debts. "She could get her family out of the situation in a moment, but she chooses not to because they're not very nice to her."

07 of 20

Eloise at the Lanesborough

Cheeky and free-spirited Eloise Bridgerton quickly became a fan favorite in season 1 for her refusal to adhere to societal expectations. That only amplifies as she makes her debut into society this season. "I've always thought that Eloise is the closest to the audience," Jessie says. "She represents young women now, but that's not because young women now didn't exist then. These fantastic women have been around forever. This isn't a new thing, and in the show, Eloise holds the megaphone of it. The feminist narrative that everybody attaches to Eloise is intelligently peppered throughout the entire show. She's just an explicit version of something that's actually present everywhere."

08 of 20

Colin Me

Newton brings the Bridgerton hunk factor to our shoot, turning on the smolder for the camera. After suffering a romantic scandal and departing for travels through Europe at the end of his season 1, Colin returns to London. "He's not focusing so much on romance and that aspect of his life anymore," the actor says. "He's looking for new pursuits and different ventures that don't cause as much heartbreak. There's some things he's learnt on his travels and he's had some growth."

09 of 20

Peneloise Forever

In season 1, the friendship between Penelope and Eloise quickly became a fan favorite. "There shouldn't be anything new and fresh in showing female friendships, but that's the world we're in," Coughlan says, reflecting on the love for Peneloise. "It feels new because it's been under-represented." But with Penelope keeping two massive secrets from Eloise, can they remain BFFs?

10 of 20

In Love With Your Best Friend's Brother...

Bridgerton has plenty of interesting trios — from the new love triangle of Anthony, Edwina, and Kate to Penelope, Eloise, and Colin. Penelope is Eloise's best friend, but also hopelessly in love with Eloise's brother, Colin, who sees Pen as a friend. "Penelope and Colin are so close, but so different," says Luke Newton. "Colin is very much in his own world. He's the third son and can do whatever. Eloise is very focused and very driven, and so far, Colin is just a hopeless romantic who likes to live in dreamland."

11 of 20

Pillow Talk

As with any after-hours frolic, secrets get spilled once the photo shoot moves to a hotel suite that boasts an ostentatious canopied bed and a framed painting that rolls up to reveal a flat-screened TV with the touch of a button. Coughlan wants audiences to embrace the deliciousness of gossip — on the show and in real life. "Gossip doesn't always have to come from a bad place," she says. "If you see a hot new celebrity couple, everyone texts their friends, 'Oh my God, did you see such and such?' There can be joy in it. It's framed as a very negative thing, but I don't think it always is."

12 of 20

Pop! Goes Our Heart

"I'm literally the polar opposite of her," a playful Charitha Chandran laughs, when asked about embodying the more demure Edwina. "Edwina has grown up having people talk for her. She is confident in her own way; it's just she's never been able to express herself." In contrast to her quieter character, Chandran is exuberant, game to play with everything from popcorn to pizza to a bedazzled microphone on set. But that doesn't mean she didn't fall in love with Edwina. "What sets her apart is an optimism and hopefulness," she says. "She truly loves to see the best in people and she's so emotionally generous. In such a tight-lipped society as the ton, she's a breath of fresh air. How much better would the world be if more people were like Edwina?"

13 of 20

But First, Let's Take a Selfie

Nicola Coughlan's inner Lady Whistledown is showing. The Irish actress, who was catapulted to fame with Bridgerton's success and now counts Jonathan Van Ness and Kim Kardashian among her social circle, is as much a sparkly enigma as Penelope. She talks about the feminist implications of her character at one moment and showing us the latest @deuxmoi gossip on her phone the next, in a merging of her warmly introspective self and her onscreen gossip maven alter ego. Striking poses in a rapid succession worthy of a fashion pro, Coughlan gets playful in her frothy proclamation of girl power as a litany of disco female anthems, including Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," Indeep's "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life," and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," offer the perfect soundtrack.

14 of 20

In Bed With Bridgerton

Charithra Chandran, Nicola Coughlan, and Charitha Chandran struggle to suppress giggles as Chandran almost falls off the bed after a spirited round of jumping. The slumber party vibes make it hard to resist bringing up the show's steamier elements. "The sex is an important part of the show," notes Coughlan. "The way they've done it is really beautiful, and it tells a story. I feel like often in shows, you're like, 'Well, why is this sex scene happening?' It doesn't feel like there's any need. But in this, in season 1, it was about Daphne's growth, and in season 2, it's [the double standard] of 'Why do the men get to do it and the women don't?'"

15 of 20

A Very Stable Relationship

Bridgerton Season 2 — Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in season 2 of 'Bridgerton'. Liam Daniel/Netflix

From the moment Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) meet, sparks fly. "She's outside of the rules," Bailey says. "She's got a lot to work out, and that's intriguing to him. She's literally outside of society, and she deliberately puts herself there. He's probably never seen a woman ride astride before. In series 1, you see him riding with Daphne and the poise and elegance she holds, and [Kate] just comes through and blows that out of the water."

16 of 20

A Family Affair

The bonds of the Bridgerton family have always been a key part of the show's appeal, and season 2 will double down on that. As Eloise (Claudia Jessie) prepares to make her debut to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), all of the Bridgerton siblings and matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmel) gather to offer advice. "It will only increase her desire to unsubscribe from this setting she finds herself in," Jessie teases of Eloise's entry into the marriage market. "She'll be suffocated slightly because she does need to please her family. It will only confirm to her why she wants complete autonomy."

17 of 20

Woman's Best Friend

There's plenty of hunky heroes and gorgeous girls in the cast of Bridgerton, but in season 2, they're likely to be outshined by the handsomest of them all — Newton, Kate Sharma's pet corgi. "He was a little bit sass and went off and did his own thing," Simone Ashley says of her fluffy scene partner. "But I like to think that when we were together, he listened to me. It was always a good day for me when he was on set." Even if he did have a penchant for eating gravel in between takes.

18 of 20

Never Were There Such Devoted Sisters

The Bridgerton siblings are close, but the Sharma sisters might just be closer. "The show is about family and all the different types of love that you have," says Charitha Chandran, who portrays Edwina. "For Edwina and Kate, although it is a love story, they are each other's soulmates. We often try to focus on romance being the center of our love, but in most cases it's not. This relationship shows that. These two will always choose each other."

19 of 20

Penelope's Burn Book

Now that we know Penelope is the one behind Lady Whistledown, we'll see an even more complex side of her. "She goes into season 2 a little more confident," teases Coughlan. "She's still a shy, reserved character, but there's moments where Whistledown peeks out a little. She's at an age that she think she's more on top of things than she is. She's got this confidence that she's such a badass, but she's setting herself up for a fall."

20 of 20

Go Under the Covers With Bridgerton

For even more Bridgerton, order the March issue of Entertainment Weekly on find it on newsstands beginning Feb. 18. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.