Bridgerton's Penelope, played by Nicola Coughlan, is known for her voluptuous physique - and negative comments about her "mixed weight" relationship have triggered fury.
Many fans of the show stepped in to defend her "body confidence" and to declare they're "living for" her look. The Regency-era drama's on-screen romance between Penelope and Colin (Luke Newton) has set viewers' hearts alight, with season three attracting more than 3.6 million viewers in the first episode alone.
However, incendiary comments have now been made referring to Penelope's curves and the "mixed weight relationship" she shares with Colin. Virgie Towar, who describes herself as "a leading expert on weight bias", warned in an article for Forbes magazine that the world may "not be ready" for their difference in size.
She was prompted to write her piece about "fatphobia" after spotting an article in the Spectator which firmly declared that Penelope is "not hot".
Despite a number of people pointing out that it was "just a TV show", for some, it sparked a huge debate.
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"'I find it interesting how there are countless fictional couples in film and television where the man weighs more than the woman but people didn’t start writing articles about whatever the f*** a “mixed-weight romance” is until it was the other way around," they exclaimed.
Others caused amusement by giving real-life examples of mixed-weight relationships on television - but using cartoons.
Homer and Marge Simpson were referenced, as well as Fred and Wilma Flintstone and Peter and Lois Griffin.
Meanwhile, Nicola herself made it clear that she was body confident when she revealed at the London premiere of Bridgerton season three that she saw herself as a "proud member of the perfect breasts club".
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She added that she "hopes people enjoy seeing them" on the Netflix show.
Although she has become an advocate for voluptuous women who are glad of the representation on-screen, she has also attracted negativity.
During one widely circulated clip, a journalist described her as "brave" for taking on the role of the woman who captures the aristocrats' heart - something that was interpreted by many as a backhanded compliment.
However, Nicola replied: "You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type - women with perfect breasts - we don't get to see ourselves onscreen enough!"
