Nicola chose to be ‘very naked’ during Bridgerton sex scenes as a ‘f*ck you’ to body shamers

Nicola Coughlan has opened up on her decision to ensure she was “very naked” on camera during her Bridgerton sex scenes playing the role of Penelope, as a “f*ck you” to online body shamers who previously criticised her appearance.

Nicola is playing the role of Penelope in the third season of Bridgerton, with part one premiering on Netflix today. Her arc will showcase the slow-burn romantic relationship with longtime friend Collin in some of the spiciest sex scenes in the series’ history.

Via Netflix

In an interview with Stylist, Nicola explained: “I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included. There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering. I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: ‘When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how fucking hot I looked!’”

Via Netflix

In a since-deleted post in January 2022 Nicola asked trolls to “stop sharing” their opinion of her body with her. She wrote: “If you have an opinion about my body please, please don’t share it with me. It’s really hard to take the weight of thousands of opinions on how you look being sent directly to you every day.”

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And Nicola has revealed that she had to use some liquid courage in order to prepare for her Bridgerton sex scenes as Penelope Featherington alongside Luke Newton. She admitted: “I went to the bathroom and looked in the full-length mirror, I was like: ‘Absolutely not!’ I hid it down the bottom of the laundry basket. I was like: ‘How am I going to do this?’”