Who Is Bridgerton's New Lady Whistledown? EP Teases A 'Messier' Gossip Columnist In Season 5

There's a new Lady Whistledown in town — and she isn't going to let our beloved "Bridgerton" crew off easy in Season 5. 

The Season 4 finale of the Netflix series delivered a few plot twists — a surprise post-credits scene was among them — but none took us aback as much as Penelope's latest finding: A new Lady Whistledown has taken over her gossip column. 

Given that this is a major change from the Julia Quinn novels from which the show is adapted, it's anybody's best guess as to who the identity of the writer may be. When TVLine spoke to "Bridgerton" showrunner Jess Brownell, she admitted that the series has "gone rogue" in hopes that it will create an opportunity for even more intrigue.

"We get to create a genuine mystery now," she said. "Because it was in the books that Penelope was Whistledown, we never felt like we could really play with that mystery that much."

But we have questions about the latest "Bridgerton" reveal — including who will voice the new Lady Whistledown? And how long will we have to wait for her identity to be revealed? Keep scrolling for all the latest Whistledown wisdom.

Just because the true identity of Lady Whistledown has changed, our adored "Bridgerton" narrator will not. 

Julie Andrews will continue to voice the gossip columnist, though showrunner Jess Brownell pointed out that she's altered her vocal performance to reflect the switch. (This change can be heard in the final moments of "Bridgerton" Season 4, Episode 8, after it's revealed that a new writer has taken over.)

"It's a testament to what an incredible actor she is that she's playing it in a slightly different way," Brownell shared. "Thats a real nod to the slightly different personality and M.O. of this new Whistledown going forward into Season 5."

Brownell revealed that the new Lady Whistledown will come in hot, acting "a little bit messier" than Penelope. The showrunner acknowledged that though Penelope made mistakes during her tenure behind the pen, her mission was always admirable: giving voice to the voiceless. The latest Lady Whistledown, however, isn't so noble.

Per Brownell: "This Whistledown is really [swinging] for the fences."

"Bridgerton" showrunner Jess Brownell also assured TVLine that the new Lady Whistledown is familiar to viewers, saying it's "definitely someone — or someones — in the world." 

And though the identity remains a mystery to fans, the "Bridgerton" bosses are not in the dark.

"We know who Whistledown is, and we're being very intentional about writing to that idea," Brownell said. "When we do eventually reveal who it is, I'm hopeful that people will be able to look back and go, 'OK, they had a plan! They knew what they were doing!'" Though Brownell admitted that the clues thus far "are very minimal." 

The showrunner also confirmed that Penelope is not involved with the latest persona — her surprise at the end of Season 4 is genuine. "She didn't see it coming," Brownell promised. 

So how long will we have to wait before the latest Lady Whistledown mystery solved? "It's definitely not going to be revealed in Season 5," Brownell said. "I think we'll play with it for awhile."

Who do you think is the new Lady Whistledown? And are you looking forward to seeing "Bridgerton" take on a different tone in Season 5? Sound off in the comments!