Bridgerton showrunner weighs in on popular Eloise fan theory

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell has weighed in on her opinion when it comes to Eloise’s increasingly popular queer fan theory.

Bridgerton Season 3 was mostly centered on the relationship between Penelope and Colin, but the plot also featured major changes to Francesca and Bendict‘s storylines.

As both siblings were revealed to be queer, many fans assumed Eloise Bridgerton would also follow in these footsteps, but Brownell divulged why the show wasn’t going to address that theory right now.

“We’ve talked about Eloise in the room a lot about the fact that to a lot of people, she does read as queer, and I totally understand why,” Brownell explained to TVLine. “But we felt it’s really important to hold space in this show where everyone is obsessed with romance for there to be a character — specifically a female character — for whom that is not the priority.”

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Brownell continued, “[Our goal] is not that Eloise just needs to meet someone of the right gender but that, in fact, she is genuinely more interested in cerebral pursuits at this moment.”

Since Bridgerton premiered in 2020, Eloise has been shown to be the only Bridgerton woman to be concerned with pursuits outside being a wife and mother.

Because of her strong demeanor and close relationship to Penelope Featherington, a lot of Bridgerton fans read Eloise to be a queer character.

The theory only gained traction when she and Cressida Cowper, her former rival, started spending more time together in Season 3.

So, when Season 3 Part 2 showcased Benedict and Francesca’s connection to the LGBTQ+ community, it was only natural for fans to think Eloise would be follow suit.

However, as Bridgerton is known for following Julia Quinn’s books pretty closely, there’s a chance Eloise won’t become the queer icon fans want her to be.

Bridgerton Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. You can read more about if Francesca is asexual, the Bridgerton filming locations, and the best TV shows to stream this month.