Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey starts filming for second season with leading lady Simone Ashley

'Bridgerton' fans, rejoice! Filming of the second season of the popular romantic Netflix series revolving around the new love story of Anthony Bridgeton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) has officially started.

People Magazine captured Jonathan Bailey, who is reprising his role as Anthony Bridgerton with new costar Simone Ashley, who is playing the leading lady and Anthony's on-screen love interest Kate Sharma on the set of the series' forthcoming season.

In the snaps from the film set, the duo was spotted attending a horse race alongside an array of other 'Bridgerton' stars including the other Bridgeton family: brothers- Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), sister- Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), mother- Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell )and the saviour of all- Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh).

The much-awaited second season the romantic drama will reportedly shift the focus from the love story between Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Rege-Jean Page) to Anthony's romance with Kate. It will be based on Julia Quinn's novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, as per People Magazine.

Producer Shonda Rhimes has earlier revealed that the first season of the much-loved series was one of the long-awaited projects as part of the eight-show deal she made with Netflix in 2017.

Season one of the series is based on Julia Quinn's novels set in the competitive world of Regency-era London's ton during the season when debutantes are presented at court. The drama is narrated through the lens of a mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews).

With a viewership of 82 million households, 'Bridgeton' has become the most-watched series on Netflix. The series reached No. 1 in 76 countries on Netflix. In January 2021, Netflix announced that the series was renewed for a second season. However, in April 2021, creator Chris Van Dusen revealed on his Twitter handle that the series had additionally been renewed for a third and fourth season too.

In the announcement which came in the form of one of Lady Whistledown's infamous society papers, viewers learned that "Lord Anthony Bridgerton intends to dominate the social season" and that Whistledown would have her "pen ready to report on any and all of his romantic activities."

According to People Magazine, if the plot of the book and the series remain the same, viewers will see Anthony looking to find a suitable wife to settle down with, but not to love as for the eldest Bridgeton, love is off the table after he breaks up with his secret girlfriend, Siena Rosso played by Sabrina Bartlett.

Meanwhile, in February People Magazine broke the news that Simone Ashley would be joining the cast as Kate, the "smart, headstrong young woman who suffers no fools including her to-be on-screen love Anthony Bridgerton."

In the novel, Ashley's character is named Kate Sheffield. However, the show's creative team previously decided her family would be of Indian descent and changed her surname to Sharma, Deadline reported.

British Indian actor Charithra Chandran has been cast as Kate's younger sister- Edwina, who would be seen as the latest diamond of the first water.

On the other hand, the first season's incomparable beauty Daphne Bridgeton, played by Phoebe Dynevor will also be joining the cast of season two of 'Bridgerton' this spring; without her Duke, played by Rege Jene Page who announced his exit from the forthcoming parts of the series, in April.

( With inputs from ANI )