Penelope Featherington wasn’t here for slander.
Nicola Coughlan, who will take center stage in Season 3 of Netflix’s steamy hit “Bridgerton,” clapped back at an online troll.
After the “Derry Girls” actress, 37, posted a video and snaps on Instagram of herself with co-star Luke Newton, 31, wearing a bra top paired with a blazer, a troll in the comments asked, “Why is she in her bra??”
Coughlan took to her Instagram Stories to respond. Posting a photo of herself in the outfit with the plunging neckline, Coughlan replied, “Cos it looked good.”
Although Coughlan has been in “Bridgerton” since the steamy Shonda Rhimes historical drama premiered in 2020, the upcoming third season will be her first time taking the lead – and starring in the show’s infamously steamy scenes.
Each season is based on a novel by Julia Quinn, and follows a different couple finding love in 1800s London.
Season 1 followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) finding love with the Duke of Hastings (Rege Jean Page), Season 2 followed Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) finding love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), and Season 3 will follow Penelope (Coughlan) finding love with Colin Bridgerton (Newton).
During the Season 2 finale, Penelope overheard her long-time crush, Colin, proclaiming that he would never marry her.
Season 3 will begin with her giving up on Colin and embarking on a search for a husband.
Earlier this month, Coughlan revealed she asked for a PG version of the upcoming season so that she could watch it with her family.
“It’s literally written into my contract,” Coughlan said to SiriusXM Hits 1. “People think I’m like saying it as a joke. I just don’t want to. I grew up Irish Catholic. That’s just not how we vibe.”
In February, she told Australia’s Today FM: “If you want to watch it with your mum and dad, go for it, [but] having seen bits … No way, no, no, no, no, no.”
Newton revealed that he won’t even watch the second episode with his mother. Coughlan agreed, “Nope, I won’t.”
Coughlan explained that she usually fast-forwards through any steamy scenes when watching with family.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, that was a big bit we missed,’” she noted. “But, even in Season 1, I skipped bits with my mum. She was like, ‘That episode was short,’ and I was like, ‘It was a short one. It was a short one. Yeah.’”
In a separate interview, she also said that she thought Season 3 is the most romance-heavy season.
“I always look at the three seasons like this. I think Season 1 was about passion, Season 2 was about longing and Season 3, I think it’s romance all the way,” she told People. “It’s just so romantic. There were a lot of moments on set where we filmed something and we’d turn around and everyone was sort of clutching their chest being like ‘Oh my God.’ It was that kind of love.”
“It’s really special and it stays very true to the books,” she added. “We had one of the best times filming it and it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, for sure.”
Season 3 of “Bridgerton” will consist of 8 episodes. The first batch premieres on Netflix on May 16, and the second batch premieres June 13.
