Here’s why they recast Francesca Bridgerton in season 3

Francesca is making her mark in society as queen Charlotte’s new sparkler in Bridgerton season three.

Diamonds have been cast aside in favour of newcomer Hannah Dodd’s alluring performance as the more introverted sibling of the Bridgerton clan.

Despite being a mainstay character since season one, the role of Francesca switched hands for season three, with original star Ruby Stokes stepping down after just two seasons.

With Francesca making her societal debut, the character finally had the opportunity to step out of the immeasurable shadows of her more outgoing siblings.

With that comes more opportunities for character development and meatier storyline, so why would Stokes decide to exit the show at this exciting junction of her character’s journey?

Here’s everything we know about why Ruby Stokes left Bridgerton.

Ruby Stokes made the difficult decision to leave Bridgerton to dedicate herself to the Netflix series Lockwood & Co.

The supernatural, detective thriller saw Stokes star as the fierce teenage ghost hunter Lucy Carlyle.

Scheduling conflicts arose while filming season two of Bridgerton and Stokes’ Francesca role was paired back to accommodate both projects before leading to her eventual departure (as reported by Variety).

Despite being thrilled to explore the role of Lucy, Stokes admitted that stepping away from the regency drama was hard.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Stokes told Variety. “It was incredible being part of a cultural moment like Bridgerton.”

She later explained that the Lockwood & Co. role “was an opportunity [she] couldn’t turn down”. “Leaving was always going to be a difficult choice, but something about Lucy spoke to me,” the former Bridgerton star told whattowatch.

“It was a chance to explore a very different character and I’ve learned a great deal playing a young adult at the helm of a show.”

Sadly Lockwood & Co. was cancelled in May 2023. Variety reported that the show’s viewing figures were behind the streamers decision to axe it stating:

“While Netflix was very pleased with the show, and especially the work that had gone into it, viewing numbers didn’t meet the threshold to greenlight a second season.”

Complete Fiction, the production company behind Lockwood & Co., put out an official statement saying that “making this show was one of the most rewarding experiences of [their] careers,” and would forever be treasured by them.

So what does that mean for Stokes?

In 2023, Stokes also starred in Paramount+’s The Burning Girls. The thriller series debuted on October 19, 2023, but was one of several shows removed from Paramount+ earlier this year, so hopes aren’t high for a second season.

Stokes will next be seen alongside The Sandman‘s Jenna Coleman and House of the Dragon’s Tom Glynn-Carney in the upcoming BBC thriller The Jetty, due to be released in later this year.

Bridgerton season 3 part 1 is available to stream now on Netflix, with part 2 arriving on June 13.

TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.