Bridgerton fans aren’t the only ones trying to guess who the new Lady Whistledown might be after that eventful Season 4 finale. “I haven’t told any of the actors,” showrunner Jess Brownell tells Gold Derby about the climactic revelation that the nom de plume previously used by Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) has been usurped by another.

And Brownell says that the cast has definitely tried to pry the secret — which can’t be found in any of author Julia Quinn‘s Bridgerton novels — out of her. “We did a screening of Episodes 7 and 8 for the actors a while back, and people were coming up to me going: ‘Is it so and so?’ I was like, ‘Oh, this is fun,'” she says. “We’ve really created a genuine mystery now, where people can have their clues, their Reddit threads, and their walls [adorned with] Post-it notes. Let’s go! I’m ready for the theories.”

For the record, Brownell insists that none of the actors’ guesses have proven correct. So let’s see how we all do as we try to devise our own theory.

First, we’ll assume that Penelope’s denial about resurrecting Whistledown was genuine. Similarly, we’re also running with the notion that Cressida (Jessica Madsen) wouldn’t repeat her attempt to hijack the name, and that Francesca (Hannah Todd) is still grieving the loss of her husband. With that in mind, here are some of the top contenders.

Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi): The newest lady in waiting to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) has proven that she’s clever and understands how important gossip is to her royal employer. She also isn’t above eavesdropping, and has said that she wants to do something more meaningful than decorating in her new role. Plus, her eternally supportive husband, Will (Martins Imhangbe), could be her mole at the gentlemen’s club. And if Alice didn’t embrace the idea on her own, we certainly wouldn’t put it past the queen to have ordered her to assume the mantle.

Brimsley (Hugh Sachs): The queen’s most loyal servant knows how sad she will be without Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) at her side. If it’s him, we suspect Charlotte sanctioned it and/or Brimsley has an accomplice (see: Alice).

Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie): The lone marriage-avoidant Bridgerton was already accused of being Lady Whistledown before and knows her way around a print shop. Now that Eloise has a new attitude about holy matrimony — namely that it’s the right, or only, choice for some women — perhaps she wants to do some fair and equal reporting on the subject. And if she continues to chaperone younger sister Hyacinth on the Marriage Mart, she’ll have more than enough access.

Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt): Although Hyacinth expressed disappointment that Lady Whistledown wouldn’t be around to chronicle her debut, she also ends Season 4 disillusioned with love and marriage after watching Francesca become a widow. If she does want to get to know herself better before she’s forced into a decision about her future, she could use Whistledown to study the pros and cons of walking down the aisle.

Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell): Remember back in Season 3 when Colin (Luke Newton) told Penelope that his mother was actually impressed that she was Whistledown? Couple that with Violet’s intimate knowledge of the Marriage Mart, and you have motive for her to try changing the narrative around what romances are deemed acceptable in society. On the other hand, is this really how she’d want to spend her newly embraced freedom?

Alfie Barrow (David Moorst): If all of the above options are too obvious, the new footman at Penwood House would be an intriguing pick. He was an avid Whistledown reader, after all, and has connections both upstairs and downstairs. Even if bestie Sophie (Yerin Ha) now spends most of her time at My Cottage, Alfie could easily have befriended Eloise and/or Hyacinth when he walked Sophie down the aisle to Benedict (Luke Thompson).

Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) and Mrs. Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne): These two would be the ultimate upstairs-downstairs duo. Facts: Portia had grown bored with Penelope’s more measured Whistledown, and Varley has always been her gossip hound. Since Portia also has Rae (Rosa Hesmondhalgh) to help run the household, Varley could have time to moonlight. And with Rae’s presumed experience feeding Penelope gossip, she could even make this a three-woman job.

Posy Li (Isabella Wei): By far the kinder of Sophie’s two stepsisters, Posy also showed herself to be smarter and more resourceful than her mother (or viewers) expected. Now that she’s found her match, she could use Whistledown as a means to champion fellow underdogs, expose the cruelty of scheming mothers, and be the voice she should have been for Sophie much sooner. Seeing who she was seated next to at Sophie’s wedding, might she poach Alfie to serve as the head of her household and her partner in gossip?

Virginia (Francesca Lara Gordon): Is this too left field? In Season 5’s fifth episode, the actress-turned-mistress confronts Penelope after she writes an easily-identifiable blind item about her illicit relationship. Virginia had been saving money to support herself for when she was inevitably cast aside, and now that opportunity is gone. Could the column be both her new money stream and her revenge on the town?