Rumors have swirled about Nicola Coughlan reportedly losing 28 pounds. But the actress wishes people would shine the spotlight on her work (she plays Penelope Featherington on the hit Bridgerton) rather than her weight loss journey. Here we explore Coughlan’s approach to staying happy, healthy and promoting body positivity rather than fixating on a number on the scale.
Why Nicola Coughlan doesn’t focus on weight loss
The Irish actress hasn’t revealed whether she’s lost weight or shared any lifestyle changes she’s made. However, she’s been outspoken about her perspective on people commenting on her figure.
She says women are more than just their bodies
While discussing being in the spotlight during an interview with The Guardian, Coughlan said: “It was wild because I was size 10 [a U.S. size 6] filming [Bridgerton season] one and I got called ‘the big one’! I was like, ‘Are you serious?!’ I’m not this gigantic sumo wrestler, and even if I were, would it matter? Would it be relevant?”
That’s why she’s thankful for the lack of focus on her Bridgerton character’s body image, she told the publication.
“It’s referenced, but it’s not the defining characteristic of Penelope,” Coughlan said, adding:
“I think that’s what bothers me: we try and reduce women to the size of their body and there’s so much more than that.”
While speaking to Time in 2024 about society’s body image standards for women, Coughlan said she was “a few sizes below the average size of a woman in the U.K.” and is still “seen as a ‘plus-size heroine.’”
Despite all of the time and effort she spent shooting the hit drama period piece, her size was still a central topic on social media and in tabloids, she said. Even in the context of what’s meant to be a compliment, Coughlan doesn’t appreciate this type of attention.
“Making it about how I look is reductive and boring,” she told the magazine. “What if I was suddenly going to play a ballerina and lose a sh-t ton of weight, are you not going to like me anymore? That’s insane and so insulting.”
She’s been body-shamed for her size
Coughlan authored an op-ed for The Guardian in 2018, in which she pleaded with critics to judge her acting instead of her body. She had been in a play called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and spoke out after reviewers of the show based their comments about her performance solely on her weight.
“The first review I saw had just this to say of my performance: ‘Nicola Coughlan as Joyce Emily, the kind of overweight little girl who will always become the butt of her fellows’ immature humour,’” she wrote. “Everything I’d done to create my character had been reduced to a hurtful word and casual comment on my appearance. It’s worth noting that at no point in Spark’s novel, or David Harrower’s adaptation is Joyce Emily’s weight referenced, not one place.”
She went on to explain that the same reviewer had described her in a different review as “a fat girl,” and that in addition to being objectively hurtful, the words implied that her weight was the only thing the critic felt was worth describing.
She wants to be celebrated for her work, not her size
While being an actor inherently places her in the public eye, the Derry Girls star has stated that she wishes audiences would focus more on her skills and talents than her size. When it comes to her appearance, she’s not interested in public perception.
“If you have an opinion about my body please, please don’t share it with me,” she said in an interview with the Irish Times in 2024. “It’s really hard to take the weight of thousands of opinions on how you look being sent directly to you every day. People love to undermine women and their hard work.”
“I don’t think anything has improved unfortunately, but the only thing I can try and do is just go out there and do the best I can do with every job I’m given,” she continued. “And to hopefully get as many different roles as I can. All I care about is the work. Bodies change, if I lose weight or gain weight or I do anything it’s no one’s business, all I care about is doing good acting and being judged on that.”
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
