When it comes to TV hits Bridgerton and Line Of Duty, you wouldn't think they have lots in common. After all, one is a fluffy, if spiky period drama all about love and marriage, while the other is a tense and thrilling police procedural concerned with bent coppers. That said, there are some shared factors. Both shows have storylines relating to the unmasking of someone in the shadows - Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton and H in Line Of Duty - but there's something else: the cast. Some of Bridgerton's favourite faces have popped up before, on Line Of Duty.
That's right. By our reckoning, five actors have done the double by appearing in these two very different programmes. All of them started in Line Of Duty, playing suspects, legal professionals or members of the police service.
Perhaps the Bridgerton casting team was a fan and felt that they all needed some corsets in their lives.
Obviously it's not hugely surprising to see that they have enjoyed more than one role - actors have to pay the bills, you know - but we do enjoy an unexpected crossover.
So, who are the surprising names who've shown up in both Line Of Duty and Bridgerton?
Bridgerton and Line of Duty crossover stars
1 of 5Harriet Cains
It's hard to forget Harriet Cains' role as Philipa Featherington (sister to Nicola Coughlan's Penelope) but her role in Line of Duty's season 4 was fleeting. Only the most eagle-eyed will have spotted it. Harriet played Jane Hopkirk, a woman Steve Arnott interviews when he is intent on proving Michael Farmer's innocence in the hunt for black balaclava man.
2 of 5Adjoa Andoh
We can't get enough of Adjoa Andoh's Lady Danbury in Bridgerton. Talk about gravitas! In Line of Duty's season 3 Adjoa appeared as a prosecutor in DI Lindsay Denton's appeal against her conviction for conspiracy to murder.
3 of 5Claudia Jessie
Claudia Jessie might play the sass fest that is Eloise Bridgerton in Bridgerton, but her role as Jodie Taylor in Line of Duty required Claudia to assume a much more reserved demeanour. Jodie Taylor was Line of Duty's Season 4 Detective Constable whose somewhat misguided loyalty to Thandiwe Newton's fallible DCI Roz Huntley almost proved her downfall. She was wide-eyed and lovable, but sadly not seen again post season 4. Bridgerton fame was waiting.
4 of 5Polly Walker
Polly Walker does a fine line in love-to-hate-her characters. As Portia Featheringtonm Polly riled up Bridgerton viewers with her fortune-hunting ways until the narrative turned and earned her character a degree of sympathy as the Featherington family's financial struggles were revealed. As senior legal counsel Gill Biggeloe in Line of Duty, Polly appears first as a match for AC-12 boss Ted Hastings before she is dramatically exposed in season 5 as one of the H's on the inside.
5 of 5Richard People
Actor Richard Pepple played the Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton and PS Kyle Ferringham in Line of Duty. Pepple's Duke of Hastings may have been cast in a dim light in Bridgerton, but his character Kyle Ferringham, sergeant and authorised firearms officer, erred on the heroic side in multiple seasons of Line of Duty.
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Will we ever see Ted Hastings show up in Bridgerton? Will Daphne pop up as a suspect in a future series of Line Of Duty? Maybe not. But a super fan can dream.
There are going to be at least four series of the Netflix show after all.
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Line of Duty isn’t the only much-loved show some of our fave Bridgerton stars have popped up in as the Duke of Hastings – aka fitlord actor Regé-Jean Page – appeared in the final series of iconic BBC drama Waterloo Road before his breakout role.
Although he only appeared in eight episodes of the show, Regé’s character, trainee teacher Guy Braxton, had quite the turbulent time after arriving at Waterloo Road. Not only was his position as a teacher under threat when was revealed he had an existing relationship with pupil Carrie Norton (they turned out to be siblings, FYI), Guy was forced to sleep in the school on multiple occasions after struggling financially.
Speaking about his role on Waterloo Road at the time, Regé told Digital Spy, “I really enjoyed it. It was a bit strange to jump on board with a show that people have invested in for so long. There have been so many series before this, so to know that you're going to close that book is quite a big responsibility but also really exciting. It was loads of fun to be part of it.”