Bridgerton’s Lady Tilley on Benedict’s sexuality ‘These relationships have always existed'

Warning - this article contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 3, part 2.

Bridgerton star Hannah New has shared her inspiring thoughts about Benedict Bridgerton’s (played by Luke Thompson) bombshell self-discovery in season three, part two of the popular Netflix drama.

In the latest outing, Benedict strikes up a casual yet intimate relationship with Hannah’s widowed Lady Tilley Arnold before realising she has another gentleman friend, Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio).

While he initially turned away their propositions in the first half of the season, in the latest episodes he embraces his attraction to the same sex and returns to Lady Tilley’s home to join both of them in bed.

Hannah told Express.co.uk at Part Two’s premiere in London: “I think it’s really, really important that these conversations have opened up.

“What is really important about this show is that it’s showing these relationships have always existed.”

In one of Bridgerton’s most empowering scenes, Lady Tilley confides in Benedict the reality that LGBTQ relationships have always existed, albeit in hiding for most of history, and are just as natural as what was accepted in polite society.

Anticipating backlash to the twist, Hannah went on: “A lot of people might come back and say, ‘Oh, they’re just trying to make it relevant for modern audiences, and there’s no way it would have existed’.

“I’m sorry, but that’s completely false. People have always loved in every single way, love is valid in every single form and I think that’s what the show is doing really well.

“I’m really excited about audiences coming and saying, ‘That meant so much to me’. That’s why we do this job. Because you want people to feel like they are represented, they are shown, they are seen.”

While fans can expect Benedict’s scenes with his new lovers to be just as steamy as the show’s straight leads’, their covert relationship will likely remain private unless they want a seismic shake-up in the ton next season.

“What’s important to understand about relationships we’d define as LGBTQ is we do want to make people feel like they’re represented,” Hannah explained.

“But the context is tricky. The stakes are high. At that time, to be identified in that way would be a penalty of death. It’s about knowing those stakes are real, but knowing that people, to live their authentic selves, have to take those risks.

“Those are the people that are trailblazing through history, and we have many trailblazers today who are still fighting that cause and doing it in a way that’s really, really powerful and really important.

“As long as we have shows like this that are watched by millions of millions of people and we can get that message out there then that’s really important.”

Bridgerton season 3, part 2 is out now on Netflix.