Are 'Bridgerton' Co-Stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton Dating IRL?
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan
Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, the fun and gorgeous duo bringing Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton's love story to life in the upcoming Bridgerton Season 3, have us all guessing: Does their romance keep going after the cameras stop rolling?!
The co-stars were recently spotted holding hands at a promotional event for the hit Netflix series, sparking rumors that their friendship may have blossomed into a real-life romance. Ooh la la! However, are these two costars really an item off-camera or simply close friends who have formed an unbreakable bond after years of working together?
Let’s investigate the truth behind Nicola and Luke's relationship—and hear what they have to say about those sex scenes.
Related: Everything to Know About 'Bridgerton' Season 3
Is Nicola Coughlan in a relationship?
We don’t know if Nicola is in a relationship as the actress likes to keep her dating life private. (Where is Lady Whistledown when you need her?!) But we do know that the Barbie actress, who was an English major at the National University of Ireland, values a partner who knows how to spell. Identifying a "beige flag" in a 2023 interview with Marie Claire Australia, she said, “This is really snobby, but when someone uses the wrong ‘you’re,' that makes me go ‘oh’, which is bad, it’s bad, but then I think ‘you just have to accept that’…but it can make me cringe a little bit.”
Is Nicola Coughlan single?
Nicola’s relationship status is unknown at this time as the actress prefers to keep a tight lip when it comes to who she’s dating.
Next, How to Read Julia Quinn's Bridgerton Books in Order
Are Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton dating in real life?
Despite their steamy on-screen chemistry, it seems Nicola and Luke are (most likely!) just close friends in real life. Yes, they were pictured holding hands at a Bridgerton event, sparking dating rumors, but they have not suggested in any other way that they've taken their relationship to the next level.
In promotions for the upcoming season of Bridgerton, Nicola spoke to a crowd of fans saying, "We've known each other now five years and people were like, 'What did you do to build the chemistry?' And I'm like, 'Well, we just stopped repressing it, and then it was fine, we didn't have to do anything."
Nicola also told Tudum, "I couldn't ask for a better partner to go into this with. I have such trust in Luke, and I hope he has it in me to go forward on it."
For his part, Luke spoke with Shondaland in 2022, calling Colin and Penelope's relationship a "real slow burn."
“...But what I love about Colin and Penelope is the longevity of the relationship and how long it’s taken to get to even where it is now, which is not even considered a relationship," he continued. "I really enjoy playing that.”
Is there hope for life to imitate art? One can dream!
Who is Luke Newton dating?
Before stealing scenes on Bridgerton, Luke got his start on the Disney Channel UK series The Lodge from 2016 to 2018, where he reportedly fell for co-star Sophie Simnett, who played his love interest on the show. The relationship fizzled out after the show ended and then he was linked to Welsh theatre actress and singer Jade Davies.
In a 2021 PopSugar interview, Luke said of Jade, "She's got an amazing memory, much better than mine, so it's kind of nice for me to look back and go, 'Oh, that's what we were doing that day,' rather than just remembering the photo.”
Luke and Jade’s love story came to an end in March 2023 after four years together, with a source citing the couple's busy schedules as the reason for the split.
Since his breakup with Jade, Luke seemingly hasn't been linked to anyone new—no matter what Polin shippers want you to believe!
Are Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton more than just friends?
It appears that Nicola and Luke are just very close co-stars and friends, not romantic partners in real life.
What have Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton said about their Bridgerton sex scenes?
Nicola and Luke have been open about filming intimate scenes for Season 3, joking that they won't watch those parts with their grandmothers. Luke told Australia’s The Sunday Project, "We won't watch it with our nans. That's not going to happen." The duo said the romantic scenes were "terrifying" at first but ended up being some of their favorite things to film.
In fact–it sounds like filming the scenes are fun now!
"There was one day where we had to do a beautifully written romantic scene, and we were just peeing ourselves with laughter because you have to look into each other's eyes," Nicola told Entertainment Tonight. "We were like, 'Oh god.'"
