Nicola Coughlan had a meteoric rise on the comedy Derry Girls before landing the role of the long-suffering Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton. Now, she’s taking on the world of Doctor Who as Joy Almondo.
In the Christmas special episode, viewers are transported to the Time Hotel, a chain that offers guests the chance to stay in various time periods through history. In it, we’ll see Ncuti Gatwa’s The Doctor face off against a familiar enemy, Villengard.
Nicola’s character Joy encounters The Doctor at the hotel and gets swept up in the adventure- and she’s not the only familiar face in the episode as viewers will also spot some familiar actors from Sherlock and Casualty.
Read more: Nicola Coughlan plans special champagne for “long overdue” Derry Girls reunion
As Doctor Who fans gear up for the latest instalment in the sci-fi franchise, let’s dive in to Nicola’s life away from the wonderful world of time travel.
Derry Girls
In 2018, Nicola began playing Clare Devlin, one of the main characters in Ireland-based sitcom Derry Girls. Clare is the voice of reason in her friendship group and is intelligent and studious, often being more intimidated by her friends than by authority figures. She came out as lesbian as the end of season one.
Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan)
(Image: Channel 4)
The show follows five teenagers living in mid-1990s Derry while attending Our Lady Immaculate College, a fictional girls’ Catholic secondary school. The first series became the most-watched series in Northern Ireland and was followed up by two more series on Channel 4.
Bridgerton
Nicola got her biggest break with her role as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, being viewed by a global audience thanks to it streaming on Netflix. She plays the youngest daughter of a nouveau-riche family in the Regency era in London and has since become a fan-favourite.
Nicola Coughlan attending a screening of series three of the Netflix period drama Bridgerton
(Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
The show has so far aired three seasons and has been widely appreciated by critics and audiences for its direction, performances, production and set design. In 2021, she won the Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal as well as winning a Glamour Women of the Year Award in 2022.
Love life
Nicola has been notoriously quiet about her love life but has been linked to fellow actor Jake Dunn as of August 2024. The pair were spotted in October enjoying a stroll in London on a cosy date night out as well as many other occasions. Fans had also speculated she was dating her Bridgerton co-star and on-screen love interest Luke Newton after the two held hands at the season three launch event. However, she shut down rumours as she told TIME they are strictly friends and nothing more than that.
Activism
Nicola often uses her social media platforms to raise awareness on social issues, including the Israel-Gaza conflict. Making her activism apparent in person, the actress was been seen wearing a ceasefire pin badge throughout the season three press tour for Bridgerton.
The Irish-native has revealed she’s been warned that her voicing support for Palestine will limit her work in Hollywood, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She told Teen Vogue: “You do get told [in Hollywood], ‘You won’t get work,’ ‘You won’t do this. But I also think, deep down, if you know that you’re coming from a place of ‘I don’t want any innocent people to suffer,’ then I’m not worried about people’s reactions.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter