‘Cougar Town’ (Bridgerton’s version) when?

Bridgerton fans have been amused to discover this season’s protagonist Luke Newton got very close to become an internationally famous pop star over a decade ago.

Well before he started playing a Regency-era gentleman on the Netflix show, Newton was one fourth of Sussex boy band South4.

Back in the 2010s, the Colin Bridgerton star formed the band with three of his classmates at performing arts school The BRIT School, with the quartet signing a £1 million record deal with Eagle Music in 2012.

At the time, it seemed like their song ‘Cougar Town’ had the potential to set them on a path to pop stardom, but fame never materialised for South4 and the four band members would eventually go on to pursue other endeavours.

With all eyes on Newton this season 3, it was just a matter of time before Bridgerton lovers would find out about his popstar past – with a little help from Nicola Coughlan, who portrays this chapter’s leading lady, Penelope Featherington.

As shared in an interview with People, Coughlan pulled a prank on Newton, surprising her co-star with his own song ‘Cougar Town’ instead of the show’s music during a ball scene.

While the Shondaland series has been known for orchestral renditions of modern pop songs (from Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey to, quite unexpectedly, Pitbull), will we get to hear a string version of ‘Cougar Town’? It doesn’t seem likely, though it’d certainly add a bizarre meta layer to the Bridgerton universe.

In the meantime, fans of the period drama will soon be treated to more songs and more Polin scenes following that carriage cliffhanger. Ahead of part 2 dropping on June 13, Newton explained why season 3 is “perfect timing” for Colin and Pen’s friends-to-lovers arc to fully develop.

“The other [couples’] stories focus on the initial meeting, which was really passionate, whereas this has been the long game of friends to lovers,” he told Netflix Queue.

“It was perfect timing that we did it on season 3 because any later would’ve been too long, and if we did it earlier, there wouldn’t be enough history between them.”