Is Bridgerton season 3 the steamiest yet?

Bridgerton is known for its romances, and viewers get swept up by the daring looks, the romantic tension, and the heartfelt confessions of love. But what fans also enjoy, and often what is talked about most, is how steamy the Netflix hit is.

Since the opening moment of season 1 saw Jonathan Bailey bare all as Anthony Bridgerton, viewers have delighted in the show's spicy nature. This was first evident with Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset's (Regé-Jean Page) romance, and continued when Anthony and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) were enthralled by each other in season 2.

The tradition continues in season 3 through Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, with actors Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton teasing throughout their press run that the new season is the steamiest yet.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Couglan said: "It's a spicy one. It's a lot of the stuff from the books that the fans expect has made it into the show". And in an interview with Good Morning Britain at the London premiere for Part 2 Newton and Coughlan joked that the new season included "way less clothes".

Coughlan also told Entertainment Weekly of the time when she and Newton broke furniture when filming one sex scene, saying: "We did break a piece of furniture while doing one scene. It's a little bit like a stunt in which they're like, 'Okay, we're gonna do this, this, and this'."

Read more: Jonathan Bailey says Bridgerton created characters to 'turn people on'

Viewers are well aware how steamy the show is, and it has come to be expected of it, but how true is the sentiment that season 3 is the steamiest yet?

Bridgerton's first season set the standard for the show when it came to sex scenes, with Daphne and Simon's romance taking a steamy turn when they wed and enjoy martial bliss. The drama centres on Simon's desire not to have children, and the methods with which he ensures he doesn't make Daphne become pregnant — as a result, there are quite a few sex scenes in the season.

One episode alone features seven different sex scenes between the couple, with the steamy entanglements taking place both indoors and outdoors.

Read more: Bridgerton review: Penelope and Colin’s story comes to a steamy, dramatic conclusion

Season 1 also features a number of sex scenes between Anthony and Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett), whose clandestine relationship marks an important part of the narrative. While Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) also has his fair share of dalliances so that, overall, the season has a lot going for it when it comes to its steamy nature.

Bridgerton Season 1 spice metre: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Season 2, meanwhile, puts the focus on Anthony and his budding romance with Kate, though the story is more about the push and pull that the characters feel towards each other in spite of their belief that they shouldn't be together.

Emphasising the heightened sexual tension between the pair, viewers watch as Anthony and Kate react while in close proximity to each other. In several scenes, Anthony is seen being enticed by Kate's smell and the couple can't often misstep in amusing ways when they try to hide their attraction to each other, even when he becomes engaged to Kate's sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran).

As a result, it takes time for the show to deliver on its steamy premise. Even if the tension between Anthony and Kate is thrilling, it isn't until episode 7 that couple have a scene of a steamy nature, and it's not until the closing moments of the finale that they have full sex scene.

The show makes up for the lack of sex scenes between Anthony and Kate in season 2 through Benedict's storyline, where he enjoys romantic relationships while studying at the Royal Academy of Art. The nature of his relationships were heterosexual in the first series, but season 2 begins to raise a question mark around whether his interest is just in women or if men might also entice him too.

Bridgerton Season 2 spice metre: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This brings us to season 3, and whether it can be called the steamiest season yet. When it comes to the central couple, Penelope and Colin's first steamy scene takes place in a carriage in the finale of Season 3 Part 1. With Colin finally confessing his feelings, the pair are unable to keep their hands off each other and it is a scene that delighted viewers at the time — especially as it was followed by a proposal.

Part 2 adds to this, and it doesn't keep fans waiting long for the first steamy scene between the pair as they have sex in the first episode. Compared to season 1 it might seem tame, but it is certainly a step up from season 2.

Season 3 makes up for the lack of steamy scenes between Anthony and Kate in season 2 by showing the couple happily in the throes of their passion in the opening scenes of the first episode. Also, like with season 2, the new episodes include steamy scenes between supporting characters like Benedict who finds a new romantic partner in widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New).

Colin, too, has some steamy scenes with various women in the early half of the season, but these are too few and far between to have much impact. So, can season 3 really be called the steamiest yet? Compared to season one, we think not.

Bridgerton Season 3 spice metre: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Bridgerton season 3 is out now in full on Netflix.