Giovanni Rufino/The CWThe bitch is back!
We just off the phone with Gossip Girl executive producer Josh Safran, who, in addition to teasing the return of Jack Bass (Desmond Harrington) and Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg), exclusively revealed to us that another familiar face (and troublemaker) will be returning to the show in the second half of season five: Diana Payne (Elizabeth Hurley)!
So what brings Diana Payne back to town? And what's up with her mysterious connection to the Bass family? Here's what Safran told us...
"I won't tease anything other than Elizabeth is coming back, so Diana will be returning in the second half of the season." So yeah, Safran couldn't tell us much, but we're extremely excited about Hurley's return to the show, especially because it will more than likely coincide with Harrington's return to the show as Uncle Jack Bass.
When asked if we'll learn more about Diana's connection to the Bass family, Safran would only tease, "That story is far from over."
Of the ever-unpredictable Jack's return, Safran says he'll be coming back as an ally for his nephew Chuck. "Jack changes every time he comes back. Sometimes he's super gross and other times he's reformed, and last time, he really was trying to help Chuck. When he returns this time, it's more along those lines of what we saw from him last year. He's still an unrepentant bad boy, but he's enjoying it a little bit more."
As for Georgina? Well, expect her to do what she does best: cause trouble "We love having Michelle and Georgina on the show. She's just a shot in the arm for every character," he says. "No matter where she turns, she's going to stir up trouble. This is the longest arc we've had her for since season one, and that was just really invigorating and fun. I really think the audience is going to love it. She really amps up everything to 360 degrees!"