Nicola Coughlan Chose to Be Naked in Bridgerton "Selfishly"

Nicola Coughlan attends the ERDEM show during London Fashion Week February 2024 at The British Museum on February 17, 2024 in London, England. — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nicola Coughlan got, in her words, "very naked" on season 3 of Bridgerton—and she did it for nobody but herself.

"We had a lot of control and we chose how naked we were," Coughlan said during an interview with theSkimm.

"People said, you know, she did it to show the body shamers. But I didn't. I did it completely selfishly. I did it because I wanted to do it, and there's something incredibly empowering in that."

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Coughlan has previously spoken out about filming the "steamy" scenes with costar Luke Newton, and why we chose to be this specific level of naked for them.

"You go: 'OK, what do I want to show? What don’t I want to show? What’s scripted, and what do I want to add?'" she told Stylist in a recent interview. "I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included."

She explained that being "very naked on camera" was her decision. "It just felt like the biggest 'f*** you' to all the conversation surrounding my body," she said. "It was amazingly empowering."

Season 3 revolves around the third Bridgerton child, Colin (played by Newton), and his romance with Penelope Featherington (played by Coughlan, and also spoiler alert: Lady Whistledown).

Part 1 dropped on May 16 to great acclaim—and apparently includes celeb fans like the Queen herself. Part 2 will be released on Netflix on June 13, so get your binging clothes and snacks all lined up. And if you're struggling for what to watch in the meantime, here are 24 similar shows you can binge right now. You're welcome!

It is electrifying, is it not? Bridgerton Season 3: Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/jwC8c9BFACMay 16, 2024

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.