The dust might have finally settled on Bridgerton season three but as fans of team 'Polin' face a long wait for the Regency-era's fourth outing, others are turning their attention to what the cast's real-life relationship statuses might be.
While certain actors who starred in the show have been more forthcoming about their relationship status, Nicola Coughlan's has remained more of a mystery – until now.
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In pictures shared by DeuxMoi on October 23, the Bridgerton star can be seen enjoying an evening with fellow actor, Jake Dunn. The photos, which fans have been quick to bemoan for their invasion of the pair's privacy, showed Coughlan and Dunn with their arms wrapped around one another, attempting to avoid eye contact with the cameras as they continued with their night.
Fans of Coughlan's have long suspected that she's been in a relationship. Eagle-eyed users on TikTok began surmising in July that the actor may well be in a secret relationship, after spotting a particularly symbolic piece of jewellery that Coughlan wore earlier this summer.
TikTok user @moondawgg noticed that Coughlan wore a Claddagh ring for the Galway premiere of Bridgerton, which, in Irish culture, represents love, self-love and loyalty.
'The ring is facing towards her, on her right hand which means she's in a relationship,' the user said in a recent video. 'That literally is what it symbolises. It could either be her saying she's in a relationship or it's symbolising maybe Penelope [Featherington] being in a relationship?'
The Derry Girls actor has been tight-lipped about her relationships in the past. She was most recently linked to her co-star Luke Newton (spoiler alert: they're just friends), but she is also believed to have dated fellow actor Laurie Kynaston for a while, after meeting on the set of Derry Girls. It was reported though in May 2022 that the pair had gone their separate ways 'to focus on their acting careers.'
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
