(music ends) (audience cheering)
- Beautiful. - Thank you.
- Okay, and also dialing in from London,
Adjoa Andoh, give it up for her, y'all!
(melodic music plays)
(audience applauds)
- I mean, geez, you look majestic as well.
Everybody- - You look-
- Adj, you look very lovely. - Sensational!
I'm like y'all walked out and I was like,
"Oh no, I'm underdressed."
And then now I feel very inferior.
Adjoa, you look beautiful. (Adjoa laughs)
Geez, I am so excited that y'all are here.
I don't know if you've heard,
but I'm like a super fan. (people laughs)
And I know you know this 'cause it's your second time
on the show - It is my second time.
- But your first time physically-
- [Nicola] First time in person!
Last time was from my mom's living room.
(audience cheers)
- So wait, you posted this on Instagram.
So what's happening there?
Let's see this.
- [Nicola] What's happening here?
Oh yeah, this was...
Oh my gosh.
- Well, that's you and you. - That's me and me.
- [Kelly] Yeah.
- Hilariously, I had been to see Company on Broadway
with my friend, Camilla, and we wanted to go
and get a slice of pizza cause we were in New York.
So we were walking through Times Square and I was like,
"La di da di da, oh my God, that's me!"
And it was like...
It's like 50 foot tall.
No one had told me it was there.
So it was a genuine shock.
So that's actually me going back another time
to have a look when I'd slightly composed myself.
(audience laughing)
- You're like, "Wait, I should get footage of it."
Is this like your first time?
I remember the first time I saw my face
on a billboard and I was like,
" Wait, what?" - Yeah.
I know it's insane.
Just because I didn't know it was there.
It was such a shock, but- - [Kelly] Yeah.
I feel like they don't tell people.
- [Nicola] No. (audience laughing)
- Yeah, it just like happens sometimes.
And you're like, "What?" - I assume there's a man
from Times Square who's like,
"Hello, this is Times Square John, great news!"
- Great news. - He does not exist.
- (laughs) He does not let you know.
He does not inform you.
Okay, so wait, I have to say so Charithra and Adjoa, sorry.
So what about you two?
So how have your lives changed from this show?
Like being a part of this show.
I'll start with you, Adjoa.
- Okay, well so I was at the Queen's platinum Jubilee bash
at Windsor and...
- As you do.
(audience laughs)
- I have a member of the Royal family asking me,
you know, "What's coming next in season three?"
And then I have a young woman from Trinidad and Tobago,
who's in the Air Force over there,
in the Air Force, breaking down and weeping
and saying, "You know, black girls, we just so...
We love this show."
So it's just like all ends of the spectrum
are sort of getting involved.
And I was in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago
and I had a security guard give me a full on...
A big security guard, give me a full on curtsy
and wave me through.
- [Nicola] Oh my God. - So, yeah.
(audience applauding)
It's that kinda stuff, yeah.
- It's very fitting though, your role.
You look like royalty. - Yeah, she does.
- You came on the screen and I immediately felt inferior.
So like it was... yeah.
I love it, you know what though?
It's so true though.
Like so many people from all different walks of life,
love this show.
It's very rare. - Yeah.
- That I feel like everybody joins in on the like,
"Have you seen the new Bridgerton?
Don't spoil it for me."
And you know everybody does this.
Like how has your life changed?
- I mean, to be honest, I think I really benefit
from like wearing masks everywhere
because nobody really recognizes you
and most of your face - Me too.
- Is covered up and I love it.
'Cause then you get to overhear people's like real opinions.
- Yeah. - Luckily they've all been,
You know, positive so far. - Solid.
- Yeah.
- But I think I totally agree with you in that,
it's kind of...
It's almost like people are surprised
by how much they enjoy the show.
So my housemate, you know, he was like,
"It wouldn't really be a show that I would watch
but I'm gonna watch it for you."
And so he- - Cut to he's just like...
- He binges it (audience laughs)
and then he was like,
"This is a really high quality show.
Like I totally see-" - It's awesome.
- "Why everyone's obsessed."
- Exactly.
- So yeah.
- Yeah, I hate when people say guilty pleasure.
- [Charithra] Yeah, I agree.
- Cause I'm like, that's a backhanded compliment.
- Totally- - Yeah.
- The things that women like, they're like, "Oh
but it's good for them."
And I'm like,
"No, it's just good-" - It's just a pleasure.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- It's just a pleasure.
- Exactly.
- A lot of pleasure.
(audience laughs)
Sometimes.
(audience applauding)
So before we talk season two, I want to ask
if there's anything you wanted to do
like while you're in LA.
- Well- - We had a similar goal.
- Yeah, we wanted to- - What was your goal?
- Well, to eat Mexican foods. - Mexican foods.
- Oh.
- Yeah, I mean...
(audience cheers)
- I love that this was your goal.
I didn't know that that was...
We knew that was one of your goals.
I didn't know if there were, you know, a plethora.
But the one we did know was coming,
so we wanted to do something special for y'all.
So here down, and it's a full on...
- Ladies, feel free to help yourselves to the simple trays.
(audience cheering)
Feel free help yourselves. - Oh, we will
- Help yourselves. - I know.
And Justin...
Oh and margaritas.
- Are these real?
- Yes, because- - Wait, these have tequila?
- I would toss this on the floor if it was not real.
(audience laughs)
I was like, "They know me, they know me."
- That's delicious.
- Cheers ladies- - On your amazing...
On your amazing show. (audience applauds)
Now I feel bad,
like Adjoa, I feel bad that you're not here.
But wait, wait-
do you have anything there? - Yeah, feel bad.
- (laughs) Feel bad.
Yeah, yeah, so Kelly, I was promised
there would be Mexican coming to my door.
(audience laughs) Did it come?
No, what have I got in my fridge?
A carrot. - Oh!
- And some Yorkshire cheese.
- Are you on some kind- - That's it-
- Of diet or... - That would be my equivalent.
- Wait I'm not like- - I know.
- I'm like, "Wait."
No, get into it and actually...
(audience cheers)
Wait, so Justin, what are we...
What all is this?
So they know.
Justin's gonna let you know what everything is.
- Yeah, well this is from one of the best known restaurants
in Los Angeles it's called Casa Vega.
- [Kelly] Let's go. (audience applauds)
- And you guys are actually having
- Oh my God. - Guacamole fresco,
chili con queso. (excited noises)
A chicken quesadilla. - Yeah.
- A shrimp quesadilla- - Let's do the quesadilla-
corn esquites.
- Do you want me to get the-
- Beef taquitos, con guacamole.
- I love a taquito. - [Justin] Chicken taquitos,
day one. - Big sleeves, big Sleeves.
- El pastor tacos chicos.
- I wanna try this.
- Carne Asada tacos chicos, fajitas,
chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas,
two special oven style burritos.
- Oh my gosh. - Oh my!
- And margaritas, enjoy!
- [Kelly] So thank you very much.
Thank you, Justin.
And also- - of course.
I guess we just really wanted to rub
that in some more, Adjoa (laughs).
- I'm sorry- - Thank you.
Thank you in detail.
But I've got a vodka, so it's all good.
- So, it's all good.
Your liquid diet, I like it. (audience laughs)
So I have to ask- - Thank you.
- Like while you're now chomping down
on some delicious food. - Do we wanna share?
I feel bad.
- I feel like we can't
'cause of COVID- - Oh no.
- But it's a very kind suggestion.
Yeah but just smell it.
Just kinda waft it in
and experience it. - I feel really bad.
Okay, so wait, do y'all have a favorite moment,
all of you, in season two?
Like I'm gonna be honest with you.
When season two came out...
It was about to come out,
I was like, "This is not gonna be anything like season one."
Loved it!
Like it was better than season one
that rarely happens. - Aww, thank you.
Rarely happens- - Thank you.
I loved the new additions.
I loved y'all of the sisters coming.
I loved all of it.
I loved the whole new story.
I loved the diverse cast.
- Mm-hmm - I loved that.
I loved the...
Oh, the tension was nice. (audience laughs)
But I'm just curious if y'all have like a favorite part
of like season two like either while you were shooting.
Maybe something we didn't know that happened
or just a part of the show.
- Ooh, I think my favorite scene to shoot
from season two was the haldi scene in episode six.
Just because, you know,
I think you never really know how people are gonna react
to certain scenes, right?
Like you hope for the best and you can feel passionate.
But when we were filming that scene,
I think all of us, including the crew, felt this sense
of like, "Oh my goodness, we're kind of making history."
I don't think we've ever seen something
like this on screen before...
- Yeah.
- And it looked very different to other scenes in the show.
And so it's really special to me
'cause it just feels so monumental.
- Yeah, something like new and fresh as well.
That should have been happening.
(audience cheers) Yeah, I like that.
What's your favorite?
- I mean, I have to...
I always love dancing with Luke Newton.
He's so cute- (audience cheering)
- [Kelly] I love him.
- But he is like the best dancer
'cause he's musical theater trained.
So that boy can sing, dance, act,
he can do it all. - Oh he is like one
of those old school movie stars.
- Oh, 100%, yeah. - I don't think I'm allowed
to say old school anymore but I just did it.
- He just sent me a picture of him,
I have to show it to you, for a fitting for season three
and, "Oh my gosh." (laughs)
(audience cheering) It's really...
I like felt very weird, I was like, "Luke!" (laughs)
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
So you're just like already
filming season three. - We're already
in fittings, no, we're not filming yet.
But the fittings take a long time
'cause they make everything custom.
Literally every single garment
that we wear. - Oh my God.
I fluctuate like so much.
Like does that work out?
- I said, I was like, "You know,
what if I like become a bodybuilder?"
They were like, "That's chill, we'll work around you."
- Or if you like, yeah, lose it again.
I literally like from like morning to trying on an outfit
for this show to like the afternoon,
it will either be like a huge sack on me
or like, "When did this ever fit so tight?"
- Oh, I tried a shoe on yesterday and I was like,
"That is not my foot."
And I was like, "I was flying," (laughs)
looking at the foot. - I know and it swells.
That's a turd of a thing that happens.
So yes, I don't know why I said turd.
So Adjoa, what's your favorite part like of season two?
- I guess I got...
I love the balls because I like watching
the floor manager and the director try and wrangle
over exhausted, overexcited, eaten too much sugar,
grown up children.
It's like a classroom of four year olds
at 5:00 in the morning and it's like, "Take 982."
And you've been in your corset for 12 hours
and everybody's just behaving badly.
So I love that stuff.
I loved the scene I did with Ruth Gemmell
who plays Lady Violet when we both were just laughing.
The laughy scenes, 'cause I just...
I like laughing and I like laughing with Ruth
and we usually get in trouble for it.
But there was actually a scene written for us
to do proper laughing.
And so that was
really good fun - [Kelly] Getting paid for it.
And then watching these two girls you've got on there.
- Yeah.
And Simone watching those girls dancing, oh my...
And it doesn't matter how many takes you do,
they are so on it- (audience applauds)
they are just brilliant.
So it's beautiful to just watch.
- So Charithra, social media has praised
casting darker skinned Indian actors.
So what has this meant for you?
- Colorism has existed
at different times throughout history.
And I think it is particularly pervasive in countries
in Asia and in Africa and south Asia and east Asia
because of, well, one colonialism
and second to do with class and caste.
And so, you know, it's a daily struggle
for us 'cause we're never allowed to forget it.
And I always say it feels kind of violent
to me because it comes from within your own community.
- Yeah.
And so I just hope that Simone and I being
in the show can help dark skinned people of all races
to feel beautiful and to feel seen
and to feel worthy of love.
- Yeah, absolutely. - Yeah.
(audience cheers)
- And it's also like one of my...
We love the artwork by the way.
And when people dress up,
we love it. - Oh my God.
- And one of my favorite ones
is of these two children who were dressed
up as the Duke and Lady Danbury.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- And I'm like growing up, I didn't know who to dress up
for Halloween parties. - Exactly, yeah.
- I felt ridiculous dressing up
as Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty,
I was so scared people would ask me who I was
even though I obviously was Belle.
- Yeah. - You know?
And so for young girls to be able to dress up
as a Dowager and a Duke and you know
a princess and all of these things is amazing.
- Adjoa you were talking
about how important it was for you as well, right?
And you were having women come up to you and talk to you?
- Listen, I can't tell you, it's...
As Charithra was saying,
when little boys and girls dress up as Lady Danbury,
which they do and send me their pictures,
I just...
When I was a kid, you would run to the television,
"There's a black person on the television.
Come on, come on, come on!"
You'd be like, "Oh."
But, so I am thrilled.
But I'm also thrilled, you know, if you are gay,
you can watch this show.
If you are a woman who wants to be a homemaker
or a woman who wants an independent life
you can watch this show.
Or you can just watch this show
'cause you like a nice, you know, 18th century frock
or a stately home, or you wanna see a bit
of will they won't they.
Whatever your particular thing is,
you can watch our show and know
that you are welcome. - Yeah.
- That it's a wide embrace.
And it's a show that says, "Everybody is just a person.
And sometimes we do great things
and sometimes we do terrible things,
but we are all frail, and we all want to be loved
and we all want to be seen
and we want to be heard, come and watch our show.
You're welcome." - [Kelly] I love that.
- That's what I love about it.
(audience cheers)
- That was like the best tease ever
for a show. - I know.
Yeah, I love that, I love that.
And I fully believe in that as well.
So the casting has been widely praised.
Here are a couple of the reactions.
One person tweeted, " So happy to see dark skin Indian women
playing female leads in Bridgerton, season 2.
Thank you, they don't even do this in Tamil cinemas."
And here is what another person posted as well,
"Indian culture is beautiful, vibrant and welcoming
and yet so often ignored.
So when I saw this scene in the trailer,
as an Indian American teen, I was beyond proud,
grateful, and honored, thank you Bridgerton."
I feel like that's gotta make you feel...
All of you, just feel so proud.
That's you're like representing something different-
- It's amazing, that's the kind of work you want to make.
- Yeah, exactly.
- Because art is about expressing the real world
in a beautiful way.
And it's like, you know, you can watch the show and go,
"It's lovely and it's colorful and it's fun."
But like what it's done has been so amazing.
- [Kelly] Yeah. - It's been so amazing
And when we got to go...
I don't know why I'm getting so emotional.
But when we went to the Bridgerton experience
the other night and seeing people
of all shapes, sizes, colors there celebrating the joy
that this show has brought them.
It like really touched a nerve.
It's so beautiful,
we feel really privileged. (audience cheers)
- You're gonna make me cry, I'm like a contagious crier.
So what are you doing to me, Nicola?
I know, I'm like, "Oh my gosh,
she's gonna make me cry." - Yeah, it's so lovely.
- So I think that that is the most amazing thing as well.
- Yeah.
I do hope...
I guess my hope is that one day it's not so rare.
You know what I'm saying?
And it's not an innovative thing
and it's not a person running to the TV going," Oh my God!
Someone that looks like me."
You know what I'm saying?
Like I have a little boy that loves to dress
up like a princess.
He's like...
I mean, he'll be a ninja as well but like he loves
to dress up like Ariel.
And in my house that's like, totally fine.
Whatever you wanna dress up as.
And I think that that's all really important
and I feel like it's 2022.
And we should just like what you said,
it's about, we're all the same.
We all bleed red, we all wanna be loved.
We all wanna be a part of this story.
We all wanna have a seat at the table.
- And it's also like about different displays
of power and strength.
'Cause it's like, especially with your character,
it's like, she's such a complex person
and mine too. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Our displays of strength are so different
from like what's been the standard for so long, right?
Like women often they've been told to be strong,
you've got to be really outspoken
and bold and you know, an extrovert really.
When the reality is that's only one form of it.
- Totally, yeah- And I hope that...
Like so many women have come up to you and gone,
"I'm so a Penelope." - So a Penelope.
- Yeah.
- And it's so sweet. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For years, you used to get scripts, where like,
"She's this guy's girlfriend."
And you go, "What woman that you know
is just this guy's girlfriend?
That's not a thing."
- Yeah.
- You know, we're all fully rounded human beings.
And this show like makes...
And our characters, they do unlikable things.
You know, but like you have-
- We're women - To allow it.
- And we do unlikable things.
- Exactly, I always make the joke.
I always say like, no one watched Breaking Bad
and they're like, "Let's make Walter White
like a little softer, so he is like a little more..."
- Yeah. - You know what I mean?
(Kelly laughs)
Like, "He's just not very relatable.
We don't like root for him."
But like, you know- - He's not very relatable.
Could you please
like tone him down? - Yeah, just put him
in a little nice, little jumper that's a bit more, you know.
We would never do that. (Kelly laughs)
We would never do that
- [Charithra] Yeah. - Oh my God,
that was the greatest analogy.
So wait, Adjoa, what's going on with season three?
What's happening?
- Well, it's gonna get twisty.
It's certainly gonna get twisty.
- [Charithra] Oh yeah.
Do you know the way as you were saying Kelly,
like you loved season one and then season two
had its own extra level of...
Season three's gonna have an extra level of...
Trust me.
So you'll see more complicated relationships.
There will be people from people's pasts turning up
in new and exciting ways.
And yeah, I think if you love season two,
then I think you should get really excited
about season three.
(audience applauds)
- Okay, so it's time for another break.
Adjoa, we know it's late in London
so we are gonna let you get some sleep.
Thank you so much
for looking so fabulous. - [Nicola] Love you, Adj.
- You look so fabulous.
Thank you so much for calling in.
I love this show-