Nicola Coughlan, queen of charm and chaos, took the Bridgerton spotlight this season, starring in scenes hot enough to fog up your Regency-era spectacles. But while fans swooned over her romantic escapades, one person in her life was not having it—like, at all.
The delightful actress spilled the tea (and probably a little wine) on The Graham Norton Show, admitting that her newfound role as a romantic lead came with some seriously awkward territory. “It was weird having to play the romantic lead,” she confessed, with the tone of someone who just realized they’d accidentally signed up for pole-dancing lessons instead of yoga.
“And it’s a sexy show,” she added, casually understating the fact that Bridgerton has single-handedly raised the temperature of living rooms worldwide. “A lot of sexy things happen in it, and then I realized I was going to have to do the sexy things.” Cue Nicola Googling, “How to professionally blush on camera.”
But the real plot twist? Nicola’s mom was not feeling the Bridgerton bedroom vibes. Like, we’re talking full-on disapproval, the kind that makes you reconsider your life choices—or at least your Netflix password sharing policy.
“My mother was so mad at me about those scenes—as if they were my fault!” Nicola said, with the exasperation of someone who’s clearly had this argument before. To avoid what we can only assume would be the world’s most uncomfortable family viewing party, she skipped watching the show with her mom altogether. Smart move, honestly. Imagine sitting there, trying to explain to your mom that yes, you’re a grown woman, and yes, this is acting—but no, you can’t just close your eyes and pretend it didn’t happen.
So, the next time you’re watching Bridgerton and blushing over Nicola’s romantic escapades, just remember: Somewhere out there, her mom is probably side-eyeing the TV and muttering, “This is not what I raised her for.” Classic mom energy.