Nicola Coughlan Just Got Real About The Hazards Of “Bridgerton Boob”

To the relief of many Bridgerton fans, the tightly trussed-up corsets and cumbersome ballgowns of the show’s Regency setting have largely been consigned to the impractical history books. Actor Adjoa Andoh, who plays the formidable Lady Danbury, has previously spoken out about the perils of wearing the Regency-era corsets, discussing the health hazards associated with them. And now Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan, who portrays Penelope Featherington aka the true Lady Whistledown, has revealed one of the more obscure downsides to the outfitting of the era.

Sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life on the Bridgerton set, the actor unveiled what she’s dubbed her “Bridgertan.” Helpfully, she also asterisked the term and posted her own definition along with a photo. "Sunburn you get while wearing a regency dress,” she captioned the moment. Anybody who’s ended up with sock tan-lines can surely relate.

Coughlan’s latest Bridgertan disaster comes as her character Ms. Featherington is set to take centre stage in Season 3. “Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time and I can confirm to you all that Season 3 is Colin and Penelope's love story,” Coughlan revealed at Netflix’s ATAS panel in May 2022. “I have kept that secret since two weeks into Season 2. This is the first time I am saying it, here." Along with Luke Newton, who plays Colin, Coughlan will have all eyes on her when the next instalment of the hit period drama airs.

Elsewhere, speaking to E!, Coughlan hinted that Penelope "finally becomes a woman in Season 3” – and early teaser clips reveal that she’s undergone quite the glow-up for the occasion. Sunburned or not, watch this space.