Nicola Coughlan recalls uncomfortable ‘Bridgerton’ fan encounter over her body

Nicola Coughlan has opened up about an uncomfortable encounter with a fan that left her feeling deeply uneasy.

The Bridgerton star revealed in a new interview with Elle UK that a drunken fan once confronted her in a bathroom and began discussing her body right in front of her.

Coughlan – who plays Penelope Featherington in the hit Netflix period drama – said the moment was both bizarre and upsetting. According to the actor, the fan approached her while intoxicated and started praising the show specifically because of her body.

“I remember this really drunk girl once talking to me in a bathroom being like, ‘I loved Bridgerton because of your body,’” Coughlan recalled. “And she started talking about my body, and I was like, ‘I want to die. I hate this so much.’”

“It’s really hard when you work on something for months and months of your life, you don’t see your family, you really dedicate yourself and then it comes down to what you look like – it’s so fucking boring.”

Nicola Coughlan has repeatedly spoken out against body commentary throughout her time on Bridgerton. In a 2022 Instagram post, she directly addressed people who critique her appearance, asking them to keep their opinions to themselves.