From Bridgerton bed-breakers to royal romps slammed as ‘pornography’…how prim period dramas became TV’s sexiest shows

WITH their conservative costumes and restrictive social rules, you'd be forgiven for thinking people in the past shied away from sex.

However, if our favourite period dramas are anything to go by, the opposite was true, and corset-busting, steamy scenes of passion were rife behind closed doors.

This week we revealed the upcoming series of Bridgerton, which lands in May 16, promises to be the steamiest yet.

Fans of the Regency romp will be thrilled by the high-octane antics between their favourite characters - including lesbian romances, threesomes and illicit affairs.

But that's not the only historical drama that's getting viewers hot under the stiffly-starched collar.

From orgies and solo sex to library romps, we take a closer look at the raunchiest scenes from our favourite period dramas.

Library romp to 'self love'

When Bridgerton first came out in 2020 it caused quite a stir with the hit Netflix series featuring lots of passion.

Set against the backdrop of the Regency era, the series follows the noble and powerful Bridgerton family and explores life in London's high society.

In series one, many of the sexy scenes took place between main characters Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor, and The Duke Of Hastings, a role given to Rege Jean-Page.

The pair's steamy scenes including oral sex in the library, outdoor romps in the rain and - with the Duke's encouragement - Daphne also experiments with a little self-pleasure.

And, with more steamy sex scenes promised, Netflix’s original bodice-ripper has returned to its racy roots for series three.

Secret same-sex affairs

Set in the 1830s in Yorkshire, BBC period drama Gentleman Jack starred Suranne Jones as landowner and industrialist Anne Lister, documenting her secret same-sex affairs.

The second episode of the first series saw Anne trying to seduce Ann Walker - played by Sophie Rundle - with tales of her time in Paris.

As she lured Ann in, she said she was only in the French capital "to study anatomy".

But a split second later, viewers saw , leaving them shocked.

Former Corrie star Suranne insisted the lesbian romps were more "intimate" and "tender" than other sex scenes, saying: "It's the psychological, the intimacy and the tenderness that we went for, so there were a lot of looks we could do that spoke volumes."

Forbidden love

In this 2022 on-screen remake of the once-banned 1928 steamy D.H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Crown's Emma Corrin plays the lead character Lady Chatterley - a wealthy woman who is unhappy in her marriage.

She takes on a lover - a gamekeeper living on their estate, played by Jack O'Connell.

The pair embark on an illicit affair, most notably having al fresco sex in a clearing in the woods.

Referring to the explicit action in the show, Jack said: "My nana can’t see it, my mum can’t see it, neither can my sister.

"I’d say anyone else is fair game."

Hot & heavy orgies

Sky Atlantic's Mary and George came out earlier this month and stars Julianne Moore as Mary Villiers and Nicholas Galitzine as her son, George.

Based on a true story and set in the 1600s, Mary urged her son to become King James I of England's lover to gain power - and the drama features numerous hot and heavy orgies.