It's a real Cinderella story

Luke Thompson and newcomer Yerin Ha chat to LYNN RUSK about leading the new fairytale-inspired series of Bridgerton

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GET your dance cards ready and your latest copy of Lady Whistledown, Bridgerton is back, and this series a brand-new couple takes centre stage.

The Regency-era hit, based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling book series, returns for a fairytale-inspired fourth season, this time centred on the bohemian second son, Benedict Bridgerton.

Unlike his brothers, Benedict, played by British actor Luke Thompson, is reluctant to settle down until he meets Sophie Baek, portrayed by Australian actress Yerin Ha.

Benedict's attitude to love begins to shift after his mother, Violet, played by Ruth Gemmell, hosts a lavish masquerade ball. There, he encounters the masked and mysterious Lady in Silver - Sophie, a maid who has disguised herself as a member of high society.

With the reluctant help of his sister Eloise, played by Claudia Jessie, Benedict embarks on a quest through society to uncover the Lady in Silver's true identity.

Over the course of the series, viewers learn that Sophie is a maid employed by the formidable Araminta Gun, played by Harry Potter actress Katie Leung (who played Cho Chang in the franchise), and that she has been forced to fend for herself her entire life.

"I think Benedict gets completely challenged by Sophie, she sort of grounds him," says Luke, 37. "But it's complicated, because I think the thing that first makes him fall in love with her is when she's the Lady in Silver.

"So it's this side of her that's maybe hidden a little, this glimpse of something that he experiences."