987 DJ Sonia Chew Auditioned For Bridgerton Role; Shares Her Audition Clip That She Calls Cringe

Imagine hearing “Dearest gentle reader…” read by a Singaporean. Yes, it perhaps could've happened.

987 radio DJ Sonia Chew recently revealed that she auditioned for a role in Netflix hit series Bridgerton, and that she read lines for a scene with Sophie Baek. The role of Sophie ultimately went to Australian actress Yerin Ha.

Sonia shared how it all transpired in an Instagram reel. 

“All of a sudden, I got a message from my artiste manager, and she said, you gotta sign an NDA, its top secret, but I suspect it could be Bridgerton, just based on the timeline, and I was like, “Why me?” said the 34-year-old jock. 

Snippets of the text exchange appear Sonia’s video, showing her manager asking if she could “pull off the RP accent” for the audition. RP accent is short for received pronunciation accent, a non-region-specific British accent sometimes known as "Queen's English", or the version of the British accent most commonly used in shows and movies.

Sonia's manager also noted that she would have to be fully available from September 2024 to April 2025 if chosen for the role. This is the same production window for Bridgerton Season 4 cited by numerous media outlets.

Upon receiving this message from her manager, Sonia was shocked, to say the least.  “I am not an actress. I have not had any formal acting training. I’ve dabbled in a couple of like comedies here in Singapore. My actual job is a radio presenter, a host, and a media personality,” she said.

Sonia goes on to share how the audition process went, from the easy part (submitting her headshots and introducing herself) to the toughest part (the acting and the accent).

“Then came the challenge. I had to record an introduction with a British accent, and not just any British accent, it had to be an RP accent. Do you even know what that is? Where will this go right, right?” she recounted.

Sonia was in New York on holiday at the time she received the news. “I had to drag my poor boyfriend back to the hotel room to help me read lines. This was when the panic set in, the scripts was in and I just cringed when I watched it,” she said.

Sonia then shared a clip of herself in the RP accent, before she went on to read lines from what would eventually become a scene between Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton in the third episode of Bridgerton Season 4.

“Now that I have cringed enough at my own performance, in fact this is the first time I’m looking back at it since I submitted just the audition tape. Um, all the excitement, the anxiety, at least I tried, and I am thrilled that I was given the opportunity to try,” she said, before giving out a shoutout to Yerin Ha.

“You are absolutely amazing. There's no one else who would have played that role, other than you. You slayed it, and I really enjoyed watching all the episodes, so you go, girl!”, said Sonia.

Sonia then ended the story on a self-aware note: “Never would I have ever gotten that role.”

Netizens flooded the comments, many sharing how proud they were of Sonia.

Her radio friends also chimed in. “You did so well, though! This is really inspiring, and I’m sure this experience will be a Bridge to a Ton of other good things for you, my love!” wrote YES 933's Hazelle.

“You’re the Sophie of my dreamsssss,” said fellow 987 jock Ann Nicole. Meanwhile, YES 933's Zeliang joked: “DAMN need to see you in it.”

Sonia's response? “Maybe as a plant…”

Photos: soniachew/IG, Netflix