Simone Ashley Reveals She Is Returning for 'Bridgerton' Season 3: 'Just Getting Started'

Good news, Bridgerton fans: series breakout Simone Ashley will be back for season 3!

The British actress joined the show's second season as Kate Sharma, the love interest of Jonathan Bailey's leading character, Anthony Bridgerton. The pair's love story became the central focus of the Netflix hit's sophomore run, differing from the debut season following the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Duke Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).

In a new interview with Deadline, Ashley, 27, confirmed she is returning for more. "We're going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started," she told the outlet.

"We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as showrunner in Season 3," she continued. "In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting."

Going forward, Ashley said she would "like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more" in the new season.

"She's in charge of the household now and she's got big boots to put on. I think she can do it," she shared. "I want to keep that softness and vulnerability to Kate, for sure, and she can share that with Anthony. I'm just excited for her to have a home and to have a family."

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Added Ashley: "I'm excited to see her grow. I think I'd like to see Kate being much braver and less headstrong and more heart strong."

PEOPLE has reached out to Netflix for comment.

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Ahead of Bridgerton's second season premiere on March 25, the streaming giant renewed the series through season 4.

In a news release from Netflix at the time, executive producer Shonda Rhimes said in part, "From the first time I read Julia Quinn's delicious Bridgerton series, I knew these were stories that would captivate a viewing audience ... This two-season pickup is a strong vote of confidence in our work and I feel incredibly grateful to have partners as collaborative and creative as Netflix."

Recently, Rhimes, 52, revealed that the third book in Quinn's Bridgerton series, An Offer From a Gentleman — which focuses on Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) love story — isn't necessarily going to be what the next season is centered around.

"There's eight Bridgerton siblings, so we're planning on following each one of the siblings' romantic stories," she told Entertainment Tonight. "We're not necessarily going in order but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories."

Rhimes added, "[We] got a little bit creative so we're already hard at work writing season 3. That is already in progress and you'll see. Give it time."

Season 2 of Bridgerton is now streaming on Netflix.