The Reason Charlotte Spencer Left Sanditon is Disappointingly Simple
When the soapy Regency drama Sanditon was renewed on the strength of fan outcry (#SanditonSisterhood forever!) the big news was that leading man Theo James had already moved on to other projects.
As we gear up for the final season, the cast changes aren't nearly as dramatic – but fans now have to contend with losing their favorite razor-tongued villain-turned-heroine Esther Babington.
So why did actress Charlotte Spencer leave the show before the final curtain? For those of you looking for juicy Sanditon-level gossip, you're going to be disappointed.
Unlike the character she plays on the show, Spencer hasn't been putting up with poisonings, will burnings, dramatic declarations of love, or quasi-incestuous emotional rampages.
No, the reasons for the departure are decidedly undramatic.
With a loving husband and (finally!) a baby in her arms, and with her mustache-twirling brother once again eating dust behind her, the creative team decided that the time had simply come for Esther to take her final bow.
Showrunner Justin Young recently told Decider,
"...I think she's got everything she's ever wanted….when [characters'] stories are done, rather than just having them in the kind of ensemble treading water, I'd rather just say that's the end of their story and they move on and we bring new characters in".
For fans this is a mixed blessing – on the one hand, Esther's journey in season 2 was hard to watch, and it's nice to know she's getting some peace.
On the other hand, the fiery-haired anti-hero was a fan favourite from the first time she appeared on screen, and Charlotte Spencer stole every scene she was in.
The exit doesn't seem to be too much of a disappointment for Spencer, who gained a devoted fanbase thanks to the show.
She's also got a number of exciting projects on the horizon, including a new BBC and Paramount+ project with Downton Abbey 's Hugh Bonneville.
The Gold is a true-crime drama based on a real-life robbery in the 1980s, and we can expect to see it on the small screen some time this year.
Sanditon is based on an unfinished Jane Austen novel, but the Denham family's inspiration was always decidedly Gothic.
Whether new characters will arrive to fill that void is unclear – but we do know that Esther's brother Edward is back, and presumably as horrendous as ever. (Is that him cozying up to the teenaged Augusta in the promo shots?! Quelle horreur!)
While fans were sad to see Charlotte Spencer go, they're happy to know that her career continues to blossom.
And while Sanditon may have lost one of its stars, the show continues to be a beloved period drama with a fanbase eager for the final chapter.