Nicola Coughlan hits back at ‘plus size’ label and says she was a size 8-10 in Bridgerton nude scenes as she brands the furore over her figure ‘so boring’
Nicola Coughlan has responded to assumptions that she is a ‘plus size’ by revealing she is a size 8-10 during her nude scenes in Bridgerton.
The 39-year-old actress explained that despite taking part in such scenes, she has ‘no interest’ in promoting body positivity and finds any criticism or anger towards her figure ‘boring’.
It is published on the cover ELLE UK In the April issue, Nicola shared that she had “lost some weight” before filming her viral nude moment in the third series of Bridgerton.
She added that in the past, she ‘hated’ talking to fans who wanted to praise her figure because she felt it devalued the work she put into the role.
Nicola said: ‘The thing I say that sometimes annoys people is that I have nothing to do with body positivity.
‘When I was a kid growing up, I never thought about it. I didn’t look at the players and think about their bodies. So I don’t actually care.
Nicola Coughlan responds to assumptions about her being a ‘plus size’ by revealing she was a size 8-10 during her nude scenes in Bridgerton
The actress explained that despite appearing in such scenes, she has ‘no interest’ in promoting body positivity and finds any criticism or anger towards her figure ‘boring’.
Posting on the cover of ELLE UK’s April issue, Nicola shared that she had “lost some weight” before filming her viral nude moment in the third series of Bridgerton.
‘There are many things I’m passionate about, not one of them… That’s someone else’s business. ‘Not mine.’
Responding to comments about her figure on the show, she added: ‘You know what was really weird was, while I was filming that show I was exercising a lot because I knew I had to, so I lost a lot of weight; I was probably a size 10 and one of the corsets was a size 8.
‘Then people talked about me being plus size and I thought, ‘How stupid are we because I’m the biggest woman you want to see on screen?’
‘I remember this really drunk girl talking to me in the bathroom one time: ‘I loved it’ [Bridgerton] Because of your body.” And I started talking about my body, and I said, “I want to die. I hate it so much…”
‘It’s really hard to work on something for months of your life, not see your family, really dedicate yourself, and then it comes down to how you look; ‘This is so boring.’
Nicola also shared a rare insight into her relationship with boyfriend actor Jake Dunn, saying: ‘We’re doing the best we can. I send him annoying videos all the time and then Facetime him a lot but he’s too busy.
‘Before we got together I thought he was a really talented actor. But I like people to have their own events.’
Despite finding fame in Bridgerton and Derry Girls, Nicola said she goes to great lengths to avoid being typecast.
She added that she ‘hated’ talking to fans who wanted to praise her figure in the past because she felt it diminished the value of the work she put into the role.
Nicola said: ‘The thing I sometimes say to annoy people is that I have nothing to do with body positivity.’
The star added: ‘Growing up as a kid I never thought about this. I didn’t look at the players and think about their bodies. So I don’t really care’
Reflecting on comments about her figure on the programme, she added: ‘I was exercising a lot because I knew I had to, so I had lost a lot of weight; ‘I was probably number 10’
Nicola also shared a rare insight into her relationship with boyfriend actor Jake Dunn, saying: ‘We’re doing the best we can. ‘I send him annoying videos all the time’
ELLE UK’s April issue is on sale from 10 March
He said: ‘I feel very lucky about this. I think there was a risk in Derry Girls suddenly becoming so successful… It was incredible, but there was a moment when you thought, “Am I going to play this character forever?” you think.
‘I was lucky Bridgerton came along because it was really different right off the bat.’
Nicola stars alongside her former Derry Girls co-star Siobhán McSweeney in a revival of 1907’s The Playboy Of The Western World at The National Theatre.
The star recently announced that he contracted an illness and has not yet regained full health.
As a result, he explained that, on the advice of his doctors, he would not be able to greet fans and sign autographs after the show as usual, as he prioritized staying healthy enough to enable him to continue performing.
Emphasizing her gratitude for being a part of the show, she wrote: ‘Thank you so much to everyone who has come to see The Playboy of the Western World so far, it’s been such a pleasure to be in this show and I’m loving every minute of it, I’m so grateful we can continue to do this until February.’
He continued: ‘Unfortunately, I contracted an illness a few weeks ago and have not yet fully recovered, so following medical advice I will not be able to sign after the show at Stage Door in the near future.
‘My priority must be to be well enough to perform for the remainder of the run, so I thank you in advance for your understanding and hope you continue to enjoy our show as much as we enjoy performing for you.’
ELLE UK’s April issue is on sale from 10 March.
