Lady Whistledown reveals Regé-Jean Page will not return for Bridgerton season 2

Regé-Jean Page, the breakout star of Bridgerton, is breaking off from the popular Netflix romance series.

A post from the show's social media account confirms the 31-year-old actor will not be returning for Season 2, which is currently filming in the United Kingdom.

Written in the voice of Lady Whistledown, the show's anonymous gossip doyenne played by Julie Andrews, the announcement says, "Dear Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings."

Acknowledging that he and his character Simon will still always be a part of the Bridgerton family, the note adds that Daphne, his wife the Duchess of Hastings, played by Phoebe Dynevor, "will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear."

Page responded to the note on Twitter, saying "Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family — on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans — the love is real and will just keep growing."

The actor told Variety that part of the initial appeal of playing the Duke of Hastings was "it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on." Referencing his exit, he adds "I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe. But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing."

It should be noted that given the focus of season 2 shifting to Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton, the Duke of Hastings was expected to be much more of a supporting role, and barely appears in The Viscount Who Loved Me, the next Julia Quinn novel the show's adapting.

For fans of Page that will miss him on the show, he is not moving far away from Netflix, next appearing in the streaming service's highly anticipated action movie The Gray Man.

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• Everything we know about Bridgerton season 2 so far
• Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page talks masculinity, joy, and romanticism
• How Bridgerton is poised to revolutionize romance on television