Dearest Reader, Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton returned for its third season on May 16 and Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan) took center stage. The season followed the swoon-worthy Colin Bridgerton as he tried to help Penelope be courted while their feelings for each other grew. It’s a journey many of us Bridgerton fans had been waiting to see as for Polin’s love story finally played out on the screen.
While many of us were engulfed in Penelope’s quest to be courted by an eligible high school bachelor, I wondered about Coughlan’s dating life IRL. Is she single, or does she have a special someone in her life? Don’t worry, I did some digging and got the tea.
In October 2024, it was reported that Coughlan is dating Jake Dunn after they were spotted together looking pretty cozy while taking a stroll in London. The act seemed to confirm dating rumors between the two, which have been going on since August. For those who don’t know, Dunn is also an actor, who starred in Disney+’s 2024 show Renegade Nell.
Neither Coughlan nor Dunn have yet to speak publicly about their relationship, but from the looks of things, it appears a great love story is in the making for these two.
Nicola Coughlan was Previously rumored to be dating Laurie Kynaston.
According to Mirror, Coughlan and fellow actor Laurie Kynaston, who appeared in Season 2 of Derry Girls, were rumored to be dating in 2021. It’s was reported that the two split due to their acting careers. Coughlan and Kynaston never confirmed or denied these dating rumors.
Couglan has also been tied to her Bridgerton love interest, Luke Newton, but a source close to the two actors confirmed “they are not dating,” according to People. Unfortunately, Coughlan and Newton are just “supportive co-stars for each other.” Their friendship is pretty adorable, I must say.
Nicola Coughlan keeps her personal life pretty private.
Aside from her beautiful editorial photoshoots and clips of her latest projects on Instagram, there isn’t much else Coughlan shares on social media. While she doesn’t share much about her personal life, Bridgeton Season 3’s leading lady has yet to shy away from giving her views on relationships.
In a March 2023 interview with Shondaland, Coughlan got candid about her feelings toward Penelope and Colin’s relationship. “There’s an imbalance because she just reveres him,” Coughlan said., “If you’re ever going to have a relationship with someone, you can’t be like, “Well, he’s a god, and I’m trash.” She’s not wrong! It’s safe to say we all wanted Penelope to be more sure of herself heading into Season 3 and got what we were hoping for as we saw some *major* character development.
Now that it’s been confirmed that Coughlan is dating Dunn, maybe we’ll catch glimpses of more of their cute outings together!