From spoon licking to dripping wet shirts and A LOT of sex: As Bridgerton returns for a third series, a look back at some of the Netflix period drama's raciest scenes to date

Bridgerton's steamy sex scenes have proved a hit with viewers, with some fans even demanding more after series two failed to include as many as season one. 

Bosses of the hit Netflix show have promised to boost the number of sex scenes in the highly-anticipated third series, set to be released on May 16. 

Season one kicked off with a spicy start thanks to the romance between Daphne  Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Rege-Jean Page (Simon Basset), with the drama's debut receiving record ratings.

However, the second run, left fans wanting more steaminess from stars Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley's Kate Sharma.

The third series will follow Colin Bridgerton's (Luke Newton) blossoming romance with Penelope Featherington [Nicola Coughlan] - with the pair revealing they went as far as breaking furniture while getting hot and heavy.

And as fans prepare for the new series of the period drama, MailOnline takes a look back at some of the raciest scenes to date. 

Bridgerton's steamy sex scenes have proved a hit with viewers, with some fans even demanding more after series two failed to include as many as season one

the second run, left fans wanting more steaminess from stars Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley's Kate Sharma

Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton have sex for the first time

Fans went wild when the series two protagonists Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton finally got down and dirty in very intimate scenes after their sexual tension had been building for seven episodes. 

Lovers of the show had been patiently waiting for the two to get together due to their sizzling chemistry after they had to hide their love for each other.

They became embroiled in a tense love triangle with Kate's younger sister Edwina who became engaged to Anthony despite his obvious connection with Kate.

At the end of episode seven after a family ball at the Bridgerton household, both Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) find themselves outside under a flower-adorned covering.

As the tension builds to a climax between them Kate says of their previous flirting: 'You are the one who must stop, you must stop', before Anthony interjects to say: 'Before what? We do something for ourselves?'

He then adds, breathless: 'Go inside' before she retorts: 'You know how I feel about your orders'.

The pair then can't stop themselves as they begin passionately kissing before he begins to lift her skirt up.

Anthony then pulls himself away and says 'I can stop' before she begs him to 'please not stop'.

The pair then slowly undress each other as Anthony rolls down her stockings before things turn even raunchier.

Fans went wild when the series two protagonists Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton finally got down and dirty in very intimate scenes after their sexual tension had been building for seven episodes

They became embroiled in a tense love triangle with Kate's younger sister Edwina who became engaged to Anthony despite his obvious connection with Kate (Anthony and Kate are pictured) 

The Duke of Hastings licking a spoon

This scene in particular left fans feeling hot under the collar.

The period drama's first series follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she seeks a husband along with the other upper-crust debutantes in Regency London - and struggles to bag her dream man despite being the season's 'favourite'.

In the absence of suitors, she strikes a deal with the sought after Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), who never wants to marry. They pretend to court each other to make Daphne appear more desirable to other men.

In one scene the Duke flirts with Daphne by seductively licking a spoon - a move that has driven viewers wild, with one Twitter user admitting they 'fantasise' about being the item of cutlery.

The scene occurs in the third episode of first series - the aptly titled The Art of The Swoon - during which the pair visit a tea shop where they discuss their fake relationship - a ploy to attract more legitimate suitors for Daphne.

'In the grand battle of the season, I am your trusted general marshalling the troops,' says the duke after suggestively licking cake off his spoon and staring into Daphne's eyes.

Fans were captivated by the clip, with one setting up an Instagram account dedicated to the duke's spoon, with a bio that reads: 'My spoon, my eyebrow, my cravat and my [peach emoji]'.

The account features a video of the moment which has racked up an astonishing 16,430 views and over 300 comments in just one day.

Bridgerton viewers went wild over a racy scene which sees the Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page (pictured) lick a spoon while out for tea

The Duke of Hastings' spoon moment even has its own Instagram account with 6,000 fans

Daphne gets a lesson in self pleasure

In the first series, Daphne Bridgerton is having a faux-romance with Duke Simon Basset as part of her plan to find a suitor during the social season.

When the period drama is set in 1813, women weren't encouraged to explore their own bodies for pleasure, leading to a tense scene where Simon explains the art of masturbation to a stunned Daphne.

Daphne begins questioning Simon about the purpose of marriage and the tasks involved, which amuses the Duke until he realises that she is completely serious.

Taken aback at her innocence, Simon explains that marriage and the marriage bed is an extension of what 'happens at night' when a person is alone. 

In response to Daphne's confusion, he asks: 'You do touch yourself?' before explaining that when she is alone, she is free to touch herself to give herself pleasure.

Daphne later tries it for herself and discovers a new delight with the song When You Are Alone in the background.

The Duke later asked her what she thought about while doing it and she replied: 'I thought about you when I touched myself — I always think about you.'

In the first series, Daphne Bridgerton is having a faux-romance with Duke Simon Basset as part of her plan to find a suitor during the social season

Anthony Bridgerton's steamy wet shirt scene

During the fifth episode - titled An Unthinkable Fate - of the second series, Jonathan Bailey set pulses racing as his character Anthony Bridgerton emerges from a lake with his see-through shirt dripping with water.

The actor, looked much like Colin Firth, 61, as leading man Mr Darcy in the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the 1813 novel by Jane Austen from which Bridgerton took inspiration.

In the episode the character Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) sends Anthony flying backwards into the water, when the soon-to-be married man's hand lingers too long in hers.

And with over 82 million viewers having watched the first series, many have already binge watched the second outing on it's first day of release.

Fans loved the Netflix show's nod to the famous Pride and Prejudice scene and swooned over the actors incredible physique.

Jonathan Bailey set pulses racing in Bridgerton series two scene where his character Anthony Bridgerton emerges from a lake

Anthony and Kate go hunting  

One moment in particular caught fans attention when Anthony and Kate go hunting.

It is clear they have feelings for each other, but they must fight their affections as Anthony is intended for Kate's sister Edwina.

As Kate aims her gun, Anthony attempts to help her with her grasp on the weapon. 

The close proximity of the two while Anthony helps Kate line up her sights allows their chemistry to reach a boiling point. 

Anthony's hand over Kate's hand on the trigger, the slow build of the music, and the intimacy of the situation allows their passions to ignite without acting on them.

And then the moment is destroyed when they are almost discovered by the rest of the hunting party.

One moment in particular caught fans attention when Anthony and Kate go hunting

In episode six, titled Swish, series one, Phoebe and Simon take part in a sex scene in a library, with fans going wild for it

The library scene

In episode six, titled Swish, series one, Phoebe and Simon take part in a sex scene in a library, with fans going wild for it.

The steamy scene was actually one of the first scenes Phoebe ever shot for the series, and it was overseen by intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot.

She told Access Hollywood: 'So there was obviously such a like a lovely, friendly connection between them when I first started because I don't think they'd actually been doing a huge amount of work together before I got involved.'

Dynevor told Refinery29 she spent six weeks rehearsing the sex scenes, which were equally as well-choreographed as the grand dances. 

Bridgerton series three part one streams on Netflix from May 16, series three part two from June 13. The May digital edition of Town & Country is out now.