‘Bridgerton’: Nicola Coughlan & Luke Newton on ‘Properly Hot’ Love Scenes (Exclusive)

“Bridgerton” stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton are dishing on Season 3 and their "sexy" love scenes!

“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Nicola and Luke about the new season, which focuses on their characters Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton.

This season, their characters’ dynamics “shift” from friends to lovers!

As for navigating those love scenes, Luke said, “Initially, you don’t know how it’s going to be until you get those scenes, because particularly in the first couple of episodes, the dynamic is kind of similar between the two that we've seen in previous seasons. There's growth as individuals, but still kind of awkward at times, and no one’s really saying how they feel."

He continued, "But then, when you get to those moments, I think we just felt super comfortable with each other and, like, both experiencing, like, doing that within this show for the first time. So it feels like we were really going through something together, and it’s nice to share with a friend you've known for four years rather than a stranger."

While Nicola was “scared” in the lead-up to the scenes, she noted, “Once we actually go into it, we had an amazing intimacy coordinator, Lizzie Talbot, who did Seasons 1 and 2, and we then just really communicated with one another about it, the two of us.”

She noted, “There were certain things that we wanted included in the scenes. I don't think we said no to anything. We just sort of said, ‘But I think this would be important,' and she was like, ‘For sure,’ which is amazing because you feel in the driver’s seat then. And it’s not stagnant. It’s not like, ‘Kiss for three seconds, and then move your hand.’"

She went on, “We could have a flow with it, so it felt natural. It should feel real to the audience.”

Nicola stressed that she felt “safe,” saying, “You leave those days feeling great because you felt like I did what I wanted to do, and I’ve served the story and I’ve served these characters.”

Coughlan was "nervous" about watching the scenes at first, saying, “Some of them scenes are very literally and metaphorically exposing, but I watched them and went, ‘I feel amazing.' They’re so romantic, they’re so sweet, they’re so sexy, like, they’re properly, like, hot. And then they're funny and you're like, 'Oh, okay.'"

Luke added, “I remember when we got to watch them back, I wanted to skip to those moments, just to check that they were okay, but actually I was like, ‘No, I need to absorb the whole moment.’”

Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown is still a secret from Colin — how will that play out?

Luke answered, “I love that this season, that storyline really comes to the forefront. It’s been in the show throughout Seasons 1 and 2, but now it involves so many more people. The stakes are so high.”

The storyline “stresses” Nicola out. She explained, “I’m like not a good liar.”

She emphasized, "Even if in episode 1, Season 3, Colin came up to Penny and went, 'You know what? I love you. We should get married,' and she went, 'Fine,' there would still be a whole mess of stuff to sort out."

Colin added, "It's like a rollercoaster," and Nicola agreed, "You can never breathe."

Nicola also explained why Penelope decides to continue being Lady Whistledown, saying, “It’s her only power in life. She’s lost her best friend, she’s lost the boy she loves, she’s an outsider in her family. She has no agency within society, so this is how she really expresses who she is and something she’s really damn good at… You really see that struggle she has because she can’t just go and be a writer. It’s not that easy.”

Luke spoke about Colin's newfound swagger as he returns to the ton after his travels. He shared that he worked with a movement coach and collaborated with the hair and makeup and costume departments to build this "new version" of Colin.

He also noted, "What's really nice is like, the underlying thing is that he's still this sensitive guy deep down, but he's got a bit of a mask up at the moment. But yeah, he's gained some confidence from his travels and comes back with a few lessons to teach."

When Mona commented that she was "Team Pen" going into the season, Luke replied, "I think that's fair."

He elaborated, "I was so pleased in the way that it was written, because there's been an overwhelming response from the fans of, 'How could he have said that? How could he have been so cruel?' So it was nice that we get to address that really early on, and I know that clip's already been released. We get into it further as well, maybe there's some apologies made, and we move forward. At that point it kind of, we always say it puts them on an even playing field and the dynamic shifts, which we have so many shifts in power dynamics between the two throughout the season. But yeah, that's like a turning point for them in their relationship."

As for how they felt about having their characters take the focus this season, Luke commented, “We’ve been working on these characters for like five years, and to finally see their story come to life, I like had a moment last night of being like, ‘We actually did it and like it’s there and it's like ready for people to watch.’”

Nicola echoed, "I'm so proud of it too. Of course we're biased, but I just really love this season. I think it's really special."