Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh says Regé-Jean Page’s exit ‘fits the arc of the show’

She stars as Lady Danbury in Netflix’s phenomenally successful Bridgerton.

And on Thursday, Adjoa Andoh weighed in on the ongoing drama surrounding the departure of fan favorite Regé-Jean Page ahead of the show’s second season. 

‘We’re following the overriding framework of Julia Quinn’s beautiful novels. There are eight Bridgerton children: one down, seven to go,’ the British actress, 58, explained in an interview with E!’s Daily Pop.

No surprise: Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in Netflix’s Bridgerton, said Thursday that the departure of Regé-Jean Page ahead of season 2 is in line with ‘the arc of the show’

‘Season two it’s Anthony Bridgerton [who is the focus] so there you are. That’s the arc of the show,’ Andoh said.

She added: ‘We all love Regé and we’re all going to miss Regé but it’s not a huge surprise.’

Fans have been shocked that breakout star Page, 31, won’t be reprising his role as the Duke of Hastings in the groundbreaking period drama.

Back in February, Andoh had waxed lyrical about Page’s talents and her confidence he will go on to great things.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, she shared: ‘I think the thing with Regé is, he is beautiful – don’t tell him I said that… He is very smart, he is a fantastically funny sharp actor so he could take on any role you give him really.’

Story arc: 'We're following the overriding framework of Julia Quinn's beautiful novels. There are eight Bridgerton children: one down, seven to go,' the British actress, 58, explained to E!

Story arc: ‘We’re following the overriding framework of Julia Quinn’s beautiful novels. There are eight Bridgerton children: one down, seven to go,’ the British actress, 58, explained to E!

Farewell: She added: 'We all love Regé and we're all going to miss Regé but it's not a huge surprise'

Farewell: She added: ‘We all love Regé and we’re all going to miss Regé but it’s not a huge surprise’ 

Author Julia Quinn produced eight Bridgerton romance novels on which the Netflix series is based. 

Each book follows the love story of a different Bridgerton sibling, starting with Daphne in ‘The Duke and I’ and moving on to Anthony in ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’ in the second book.

The Duke of Hastings appears only briefly in the second novel which focuses on Anthony and his romance with Kate. 

The subsequent six books follow the love stories of siblings Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory.

Sequence: Author Julia Quinn produced eight Bridgerton romance novels on which the Netflix series is based. Each book follows the love story of a different Bridgerton sibling, starting with Daphne in 'The Duke and I'  followed by Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory

Sequence: Author Julia Quinn produced eight Bridgerton romance novels on which the Netflix series is based. Each book follows the love story of a different Bridgerton sibling, starting with Daphne in ‘The Duke and I’  followed by Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory

No drama: Earlier this week, Bridgerton's executive producer Shonda Rhimes 'dismissed' rumors that creative differences were behind Page's exit from the hit Netflix show

No drama: Earlier this week, Bridgerton’s executive producer Shonda Rhimes ‘dismissed’ rumors that creative differences were behind Page’s exit from the hit Netflix show 

On the cards: The showrunner revealed she was 'shocked' at the way fans reacted to news of Page's departure and emphasized she had only made a one-season deal with the London-born actor

On the cards: The showrunner revealed she was ‘shocked’ at the way fans reacted to news of Page’s departure and emphasized she had only made a one-season deal with the London-born actor 

Earlier this week, Bridgerton’s executive producer Shonda Rhimes ‘dismissed’ rumors that creative differences were behind Page’s exit from the hit Netflix show.

The showrunner revealed she has been ‘shocked’ at the way fans have reacted to news of his departure.

Rhimes told Vanity Fair on Tiesday: ‘There’s a lot of fantastically interesting talk that’s been going on, mainly ’cause I think people are having a hard time letting go.’   

Reiterating that she had only made a one-season deal with the star, she said she didn’t expect ‘this much of an explosion’ from the viewers. 

She also rejected a suggestion that the London-born actor had turned down a deal for cameo appearances in Bridgerton’s second season. 

Love story: Page, 31, played Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, in the first season, which centered on his character's romance with Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor

Love story: Page, 31, played Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, in the first season, which centered on his character’s romance with Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor

A source previously claimed to Page Six‘Regé is not coming back to Bridgerton because of creative differences with Shonda Rhimes and her team.’

The source added: ‘He wasn’t happy with what was planned for his character for season two, which would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show.’      

Page, a virtual unknown, shot to global stardom after appearing as handsome heartthrob Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, in the first season of the show, which centered on his character’s romance with Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor. 

Netflix said in the first 28 days that the show was online, Bridgerton was streamed in 82 million households, and it came as little surprise when it was renewed for a second season in January. 

At the time, the streaming giant revealed that the second installment of episodes would focus on Daphne’s brother, Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his quest to find a wife, although it was initially suggested that Daphne and Simon would still feature in the show, just not in leading roles. 

Next up: Season two will move on to another Bridgerton sibling, oldest son Anthony (left) played by Jonathan Bailey

Next up: Season two will move on to another Bridgerton sibling, oldest son Anthony (left) played by Jonathan Bailey

Hit: In the first 28 days that the show was online, Bridgerton was streamed in 82 million households, and it came as little surprise when it was renewed for a second season in January

Hit: In the first 28 days that the show was online, Bridgerton was streamed in 82 million households, and it came as little surprise when it was renewed for a second season in January