"Bridgerton" back

Coughlan: Nude scene as “F**k you” to Bodyshamer

Nicola Coughlan demanded more nude scenes during the filming of "Bridgerton" to annoy her body shamers.(Bild: © 2023 Netflix, Inc.)

Things are getting hot again in the new season of "Bridgerton" - and even hotter than originally planned. Nicola Coughlan, who comes into focus as Penelope Featherington in season 3, has now revealed this in an interview. The reason: she wanted to tease her body shamers with the numerous nude scenes.

The sex scenes with her film partner Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) had encouraged her, Nicola Coughlan now revealed to "Stylist" magazine. So much so that she demanded even more nude scenes during filming. And for good reason: she wanted to annoy her body shamers with the revealing shots, the 37-year-old explained.

"Like the biggest 'fuck you'"
"I specifically asked to record special lines and moments," Coughlan explained in the interview. "There's a scene where I'm very naked in front of the camera, and that was my idea, my choice."

He continued, "It felt like the biggest 'Fuck you!" to all the conversations that have been going on about my body. It was just incredibly powerful."

Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton star in season 3 of "Bridgerton".(Bild: © 2023 Netflix, Inc.)

She "felt beautiful in that moment," Coughlan explained about shooting the risque scene. "And I thought to myself: 'When I'm 80, I want to look back on this moment and remember how damn hot I looked!"

Enjoying nudity
She had never shot a sex scene before "Bridgerton", Coughlan previously revealed to the "Los Angeles Times". However, she felt so comfortable with her film partner during the shoot that she and Luke Newton even lay around naked.

"At the end of the day, we were both lying under a sheet, not dressed, just relaxing. We thought to ourselves: 'So that's why nudists do it'," Coughlan laughed. 

Nicola Coughlan at the premiere of the 3rd season of "Bridgerton"(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Dimitrios Kambouris)

She was initially put off by the idea of filming sex scenes - especially when she tried on a hold-up thong, which was supposed to serve as protection during the raunchy scenes. 

"I went into the bathroom and looked in the big mirror. And thought to myself: 'Surely not'," she described that moment. "I threw it to the bottom of the laundry basket and thought: 'How am I going to do this?"

Season 3 in two parts
The first four episodes of season 3 of "Bridgerton" have been available on Netflix since this Thursday. The second part will follow on June 13.