Bridgerton is finally back for season three and it's brought with it a number of new stars, including Penelope Featherington's latest love interest Lord Debling, played by Sam Phillips. However, many fans have impressively recognised Sam, 39, from one of his very first TV roles - and he looks completely different.
The actor was once the star of CBBC's 2008 comedy Hotel Trubble, playing hapless bellboy Jamie. He led the cast alongside Horrible Histories star Dominique Moore, Coronation Street's Gary Damer and EastEnders icon Tanya Franks.
While Sam looks totally different to his Hotel Trubble character in Bridgerton, fans have still managed to spot him - and many took to Twitter to comment on his major transformation. "Still can't believe the guy from hotel trubble is in the new season of bridgerton," one viewer wrote.
"Sorry the hot Lord Debling from Bridgerton was the guy from Hotel Trubble???" another tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Meanwhile, other fans wrote: "As if the actor who plays lord debling is the same guy from hotel trubble on cbbc #BRIDGERTON."
The new series of Bridgerton sees Penelope - played by Nicola Coughlan - set about finding a husband to escape living with her domineering mother Portia (Polly Walker) and her cruel sisters Philippa (Harriet Cains) and Prudence (Bessie Carter). She enlists the help of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and soon finds herself spending time with Lord Debling - a nobleman with a passion for nature.
Sam began acting in 1999, taking on roles in Starting Out and My Family before landing a role in Hotel Trubble, which aired for three years until 2011. He went on to appear in EastEnders, Doctors, The Syndicate, Dad's Army: The Los Episodes and The Crown. His most recent roles have been in Grantchester, This England, Father Brown and Embers.
Speaking about Bridgerton's third series, star Nicola Coughlan admitted that she asked to do a nude scene in the drama after being body-shamed in the past. "I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included," she told Stylist.
"There's one scene where I'm very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest ‘f**k you' to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering."
Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix.
