Bridgerton Emmy winner Marc Pilcher dies of Covid at 53

Marc Pilcher, the Emmy-winning hair stylist and makeup designer known for his work on Bridgerton, has died of Covid at the age of 53.

News of Pilcher’s death comes just weeks after he won a Creative Emmy for his work on the Netflix hit. He was double-vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions, as confirmed to Variety by his agency, Curtis Brown.

“Glamorous and extravagant, he brought his flair and style to every design,” a statement read. “Never limited in his thought process for his creations, he pushed boundaries and created work never realised before.”

Pilcher, who is based in the UK, travelled to Los Angeles for the Emmy awards and took multiple tests which were negative throughout the process, according to Variety. After he returned to England, he fell ill and died on 3 October.

Nicola Coughlan, who played Penelope on the show, tweeted that she was “heartbroken” by the news. “It’s a tragedy that he’s been taken so young when he had so much yet to do,” she wrote. “Please also use this as a reminder that Covid is still a very real and present danger, please get vaccinated and mask up to protect yourself and others.” Phoebe Dynevor said she was “at a loss for words” on Instagram.

In his acceptance speech, Pilcher called Bridgerton the “most exciting project” to be part of.

“It’s so wonderful and welcoming and I knew that we were making something special, but I wasn’t expecting this response really,” Pilcher said in a June interview.

Pilcher’s work also included work on Downton Abbey, Judy, Beauty and the Beast and Mary Queen of Scots, which scored him an Oscar nomination. He had also completed work on the upcoming prequel The King’s Men.