Who Is Lord Debling? The Season 3 Suitor Could Spell Trouble For Penelope & Colin

Now that Bridgerton Season 3 is mere weeks away, the ton is in full #Polin mode. Every clue, cast comment, or teaser clip fuels the flames of what promises to be the show’s most romantic season yet. As Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope) previously told People, “I always look at the three seasons like this: I think Season 1 was about passion, Season 2 was about longing and Season 3, I think it’s romance all the way.”

With fans eagerly anticipating Colin and Penelope’s love story, a new round of promotional photos features Penelope looking quite cozy with someone else entirely: Lord Debling.

A Striking New Suitor

If you’ve been keeping up with all things Bridgerton, you know that Lord Debling’s character has been in the works for a while now. All the way back in 2022, Deadline reported the newcomer (played by Sam Phillips) was a “genial lord with unusual interests ... with wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities.” And Netflix itself has described the character as “a new suitor for Penelope.”

But even so, fans were shook to see Penelope and Debling paired up on their social media timelines on April 9. In one photo, they seem to be attending a ball together. In another, they’re on the ground outside, Debling holding Penelope in a protective posture. Finally, a brief teaser of the pair proved they have all the chemistry.

Many viewers were happy to see Penelope thriving — especially if it makes Colin sweat a bit. “I’m so ready for his jealous era,” one fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote. Another noted that Debling being a “perfectly good suitor” for Penelope can only help the #Polin romance. “It’s more abt penelope seeing what colin sees in her; she’s beautiful & a catch and anyone would be lucky to have her!!!”

Even the stars themselves had a bit of fun with the new teasers. Luke Newton (who plays Colin) commented that he was “fuming” on Bridgerton’s clip of Penelope and Debling together — and Coughlan commented “Caught in 4k” on Netflix’s official post.

Is Lord Debling In The Bridgerton Books?

Lord Debling actually doesn’t appear in Colin and Penelope’s love story, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, so there’s no way to know how this apparent love triangle will pan out. However, Phillips has given fans a clue of what to expect.

“Lord Debling is seen as an outsider,” he recently told Shondaland. “He lives on the fringes of society, and he is after a love match this season; he’s after someone who goes against the grain, someone who is a little bit of an outsider like him.” In other words: Be scared, Colin!