Bridgerton fans’ hearts are officially broken. British actor Regé-Jean Page has responded to the news that he won’t be returning for the second series of hit Netflix show Bridgerton. On 2 April, Netflix announced – via a letter from Lady Whistledown – that his character Simon, the Duke of Hastings, wouldn’t be part of the cast for season two, stating: “We will miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.” Page took to social media to share a moving farewell message to the show, referring to the role as “an absolute pleasure and privilege”, and thanking “the incredibly creative and generous cast and crew” as well as the “outstanding fans”.

“The ride of a life time,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke. Joining this family – not just on screen, but off screen too. Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans – it’s all been beyond anything I could have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing.”He also left a comment on the Instagram post that announced his departure, which was shared on the official Bridgerton account. “Joining this family – the connection on and off screen, with our cast, our crew, all the incredible fans, has been like nothing I could have ever imagined,” he wrote. In an interview with Variety, Page explained that he’d always known his character would only ever lead the show for one season.

“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” Regé explained, referring to conversations that he had with Bridgerton producers before starting the role.He went on to add that he liked the idea of only being in the show for one series, saying: “[I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”