At a glance…
- Irish actress Nicola Coughlan keeps her personal life out of the spotlight, but she recently shared support for her partner’s upcoming project.
- Her partner, Jake Dunn, is starring in the Australian series My Brilliant Career, opposite Philippa Northeast, coming out on Netflix on 13 August, 2026.
Nicola Coughlan, the Irish actress known for her compelling performances and distinctive charm, has become a prominent name in the entertainment industry.
Born in Galway, Ireland, in 1987, Nicola first garnered attention with her role as Clare Devlin in the critically acclaimed series Derry Girls.
Nicola’s rise to fame then escalated with her portrayal of Penelope Featherington in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton.
Not to mention, Nicola appeared in the most successful film of 2023 — Barbie. She played Sparkle Eyes Barbie opposite Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie.
She’s also set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of The Magical Faraway Tree.
Nicola made headlines again in January 2025, after receiving a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her role as Penelope Featherington in the third season of Bridgerton.
The news broke a day ahead of her birthday, and she expressed her gratitude on Instagram with a statement: “This is a very lovely early birthday present! I’m absolutely in shock and so honoured.”
Nicola’s Penelope took centre stage along with Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton, and their on-and-off-screen chemistry had fans speculating about Nicola’s personal life… Namely, whether or not Nicola Coughlan has a partner. And if so, who is it?
Is Nicola Coughlan in a relationship with Luke Newton?
No, Nicola and Luke are not in a relationship. They just play each other’s love interest in Bridgerton.
Does Nicola Coughlan have a partner?
After months of speculation, the Galway girl finally confirmed that she is in a relationship with Jake Dunn.
Nicola took to Instagram in February 2025 to post a picture of Jake and wish him a happy birthday — this is what the kids call a ‘hard launch.’
Jake is a film producer and starred in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell alongside Nicola’s Derry Girls co-star Louisa Harland.
He is also starring in one of the romantic leads in Australian series My Brilliant Career on Netflix. Jake stars as Frank Hawden, a jackaroo from a high-class family on the Caddagat estate. The main character, played by Philippa Northeast, repeatedly rejects his proposals, but he’s relentless!
After the trailer announcement for the series, she shared the poster to her story with a sweet message: “My brilliant fella.”
Nicola was first linked to Jake in August 2024 at the All Points East Festival in London; she was spotted wrapped up in his arms, and this sparked dating rumours.
Fuel was added to the fire when the two were seen holding hands while out and about in London in late 2024.
Who else has Nicola Coughlan dated?
Despite her growing fame, Nicola prefers to keep the intimate details of her personal life away from the limelight. So, actually, this is the first time she’s gone public with a relationship.
However, she did discuss her ‘red flags’ and ‘beige flags’ with Marie Claire Australia in September 2023.
“When guys want to do a Joker impression,” Nicola said when asked what her number one red flag would be.
“Just don’t…do that. That’s just an immediate ick and it’s never good. I know that’s very specific,” she continued before adding that, thankfully, it hasn’t happened to her in real life.
“But, I’ve sort of seen it online…no, that just makes me want to retreat into a hole.”
Nicola then admitted that her beige flag (something that, unlike a red flag, is not a deal breaker but odd or annoying) involved spelling and grammar.
“This is really snobby, but when someone uses the wrong ‘you’re’. That makes me go ‘Oh’. Which is bad, it’s bad, but then I think, ‘You just have to accept that…’ But it can make me cringe a little bit.”
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