Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page says hit Netflix show is Downton Abbey’s ‘more scandalous sibling’

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page has said he hopes the new Netflix show is providing some “colourful and fluffy” entertainment for fans in lockdown over Christmas. Page, who plays the broody Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, told BBC Breakfast that he viewed the series as “Downton Abbey’s wayward sibling” but “considerably more scandalous”. “It's kind of meant to be something a bit kind of colourful and fluffy for Christmas, hopefully like a big, warm Regency hug to help you get through a festive period that's been a little bit different for everyone this year.” Each episode follows Phoebe Dynevor's character, Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family, as she makes her debut on the competitive marriage market. The Independent gave the show four stars, calling it “watchable fluff, with everyone involved refreshingly aware they are producing a piece of entertainment rather than A History of the English-Speaking People”.