Bridgerton star ‘shocked’ by show’s steamy scenes after expecting ‘Jane Austen’ drama

Ben Miller, who played Lord Featherington in the hit Netflix drama, was surprised by all the ‘hanky panky’ on screen.

Ben Miller, known for his role in Bridgerton, shared that he was surprised by the level of erotic content in the series.

The 58-year-old actor played the character Lord Featherington in the Netflix period drama, but met his demise at the end of the first season. Reflecting on his character’s journey, he revealed his surprise at the amount of “hanky panky” there was in the series, a detail that initially escaped him.

Miller shared his thoughts during an appearance on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday (December 22), where he appeared alongside Moira Stewart and Anita Dobson.

He spoke candidly about his experience on the set of the Netflix series after host Alan Titchmarsh joked he made a “mistake” by getting killed off amid the show’s “huge success” . This led Miller to admit his shock, as he explained that he hadn’t realized how many steamy scenes there would be, reports the Express.

“Not only that, but I had no idea. See, what I thought was in some sort of Jane Austen drama,” he began. “Because I was placed as a sort of father figure of this family, a bit of a deadbeat and all I really did was sort of watch from behind a newspaper at the different activities in the living room.”

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“I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes because I was not involved in any way in any of these storylines.”

“When I watched the show, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. Shocked. Because as far as I was concerned, it was a kind of Jane Austen kind of girl, quite very wise. “

Alan appeared on the popular show, sharing his pet peeve regarding the depiction of plants, particularly the wisteria that hovers above the Bridgertons’ home. He said: “I really want to love it but this wisteria is driving me crazy. I mean, it flowers every day of the year – here’s a photo from December with snow and the wisteria is in full bloom, I can’t do that.”

Ben has previously hinted that his fate was planned on the show. Interviewed by Good Morning Britain earlier this year, he expressed skepticism about the finality of his character’s death, saying: “I’ve never seen him die – and that’s the crucial moment on television. We We didn’t see him die. We saw him with the thugs and then he just wasn’t there.

The fourth season of the Netflix drama, which will premiere in 2026, still carries the promise of the character’s return, offering fans a glimmer of hope following the release of the third season in May.

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh returns Sunday at 9.30am on ITV1 and ITVX