BRIDGERTON star Luke Newton has had fans swooning in the latest series – with his dapper outfits and impeccable manners.
But another aspect of his life that may impress his many admirers is his secret pop career that saw him strip naked and earn £1million.
Luke, 29, returned to the Netflix show as character Colin Bridgerton – who had been sent away from London after a scandalous affair.
Having travelled the world to escape his secret relations with Marina Thompson, the second-youngest Bridgerton son came back with a bang.
Fans went wild to see him back on screen – with a new, but perhaps not unsurprising, love interest having put the past behind him for good.
Many were left swooning over his gentlemanly demeanour and good looks – as well as his talented acting skills throughout the series.
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His devoted followers may already be aware of his long-running TV career, having appeared on BBC Two and the Disney Channel.
But it’s likely many are unfamiliar with his singing days, which once saw him as a member of a hit boy band at the centre of a £1m record deal.
Luke was just one of four young men that made up hit band South 4, which were once dubbed “Sussex’s answer to One Direction”.
The band signed a £1million deal with Eagle Music back in 2012 ahead of their debut single Cougar Town, but failed to make an impression.
BRIT school trained Luke was seen stripping down naked for a promotional shoot for the band, covered with just a Union Jack.
Smouldering at the camera, the star hid his naked body from view under the giant flag, as he sat shoulder-to-shoulder with his bandmates.
Following the band’s flop in the charts, Luke turned his attentions to acting – appearing in popular Disney musical series The Lodge.
The star – who is dating Jade Davies, the younger sister of Love Island star Amber Davies – also landed a role in BBC drama The Cut.
In 2020, he was then cast as Colin Bridgerton for the Netflix series, with his character involved in a scandalous relationship out of wedlock.
It’s thought that his love life will make the focus of the third season of the show, which is due to hit screens next year.
It comes as this week, Bridgerton announced a spin-off series focused on a young Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power.
The new series will follow the origin stories of Queen Charlotte, Violet Bridgerton (played by Ruth Gemmell), and Lady Danbury (played by Adjoa Andoh).
It comes after the Hollywood Reporter revealed that Bridgerton had racked up an incredible 193 million hours of viewing time worldwide in the three days after its premiere.
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The spin-off, which has already started filming, also looks at the life of the young Charlotte years before the period in which Bridgerton’s first two seasons are set.
The Sun revealed that the lead character is played by 21-year-old India Ria Amarteifio, who Line Of Duty fans may recall as Sophie, the daughter of DCI Roz Huntley in season four.