School 'exceptionally proud' of Bridgerton actress

At school Hannah Dodd performed in productions of Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and We Will Rock You

An actress who went from school musicals to starring in a hit Netflix period drama can be "really, really inspiring" to pupils at her old school, its drama teacher said.

Hannah Dodd is joining series three of Bridgerton as Francesca Bridgerton.

The romantic drama follows the lives of the eponymous family and others in Regency London.

Leo Cox, who taught Dodd at Ormiston Sudbury Academy in Suffolk, said: "From the beginning she was highlighted as someone who was really, really good in performing arts."

Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor appeared as a couple in the early 19th Century drama

She is joining a cast which includes Phoebe Dynevor who plays Daphne Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton who plays Colin Bridgerton.

The show first aired in 2020 and was brought to life by Shonda Rhimes based on the novels by Julia Quinn.

Dodd is taking over the role of the sixth Bridgerton child from actress Ruby Stokes.

Drama teacher Leo Cox said Dodds (pictured, on left, with Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Agatha Danbury) was "so down to earth"

At school, Dodd was in musicals including Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and We Will Rock You.

Mr Cox, assistant principal and drama teacher, said: "What always struck us about Hannah is that she's just so down to earth and modest and friendly and she was really popular but was just really kind and lovely... she is genuinely a really great person."

He said they have had a number of pupils go on to drama schools and others who have worked in the music industry and in West End productions.

"We are really proud of our performing arts here... we knew that Hannah was going to do really well," he added.

He said the school was "exceptionally proud of her" and she could be held up as an example to its current cohort of youngsters.

"It is really, really inspiring; we make a big thing of celebrating our students and their successes here because Sudbury, although it is a town, is rural and is cut off from some of the big cities," he said.

"So people like Hannah going off and succeeding proves to people that it can happen."