Nicola Coughlan and Boyfriend Jake Dunn Make Their Red Carpet Debut—Here’s a Look at Their Love Story
Plus, details on the ‘Bridgerton’ star’s relationship with co-star Luke Newton
Dearest gentle reader, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has officially made her red carpet debut with her boyfriend Jake Dunn at the BAFTA Television & Television Craft Awards nominees party, and you can bet your ball gowns that this author has found out everything you need to know about both him and his love story with our beloved diamond. But that’s not all. How does Coughlan’s onscreen love interest Luke Newton feel about this new development, and was there ever a chance their regency romance could have reincarnated into a life love story? We look into all the scandalous details below.
Who is Nicola Coughlan’s boyfriend, Jake Dunn?
Coughlan, 38, who made her debut in Derry Girls before playing Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, and Dunn, 25, initially sparked romance rumors in August 2024 after the Daily Mail reported that they were seen attending London’s All Points East festival together, but it is believed that they were involved with each other way before that since she attend his TV show premiere for Renegade Nell in March 2024.
From there, the two began posting little easter eggs on their social media accounts, hinting that they were in fact an item. These included Dunn posting a photo in September 2024 of one of his friends wearing a hat that said “Nicola Coughlan” and a shirt that said “And her perfect breast”—most likely in reference to an interview the actress did with People magazine where she said “I think women with my body type [are] women with perfect breasts.”
Then, on February 12, Coughlan reportedly posted a birthday tribute to Dunn on her Instagram story, but it was removed after 24 hours, though it’s safe to consider the couple “Instagram official” from that moment onwards.
And now, over a year after they were first linked together, Jake Dunn and Nicola Coughlan made their red carpet debut at the BAFTA Television & Television Craft Awards nominees party in London in April 2025.
The actress herself was nominated in the BAFTA Television Craft Award for Female Performance in a Comedy category for her work in the 2024 series Big Mood.
“Holy moly I’ve been nominated for a BAFTA,” Coughlan wrote on Instagram in March. “I’ve tried to write a long caption but I’m too overwhelmed and excited and emotional to explain how much it means to me so please enjoy Pic 2: Ringing my mum and getting to tell her forehead the news. Pic 3: Some of the Big Mood family who have now become friends for life. Pic 4: Camilla and I at 21 & 19, not knowing that one day one would write the other a part so incredible that she’d get nominated for a BAFTA. I love you, my girl.”
The award show itself will take place on Sunday, April 27, and Coughlan is expected to attend. Since Dunn went to the first event with her, it is safe to say he will be at that one as well.
What Nicola Coughlan said about Luke Newton dating rumors
Because of Coughlan’s sizzling onscreen chemistry with Newton in Season 3 of Bridgerton, which aired in May and June 2024, a lot of people were wondering if the pair was dating in real life. The actress herself shut down those rumors rather fast, though, telling Time, “A lot of people really want me to marry Luke [Newton].”
“We have this gorgeous friendship. We have such a love for one another and this experience that I’ll never have with someone else again. Isn’t it gorgeous that a man and woman can have that sort of relationship with one another?”
Newton echoed similar thoughts, telling Town & Country, “It was nice to sit in those two roles for a couple of years and work and build on our friendship together.”
“It felt like it had to be that way. I know for other cast members that have come in, maybe they’ve met a couple of times before they shoot a romantic scene—or they shoot the first time they meet. It was really nice to already have that relationship with Nic, and know that we were going to get there at some point. It all aligns: It had to be that way; it had to be that we had history between us.”
Both Coughlan and Newton are expected to return for Bridgerton Season 4, which is currently in production at Netflix.
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