Bridgerton season 3: Colin and Penelope’s sex scenes explained

How did Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan take things from friends to lovers?

Let’s be honest: when you think of Bridgerton, you likely think of one thing only. No, not the string quartet versions of modern songs, or the layers upon layers of petticoats and full skirts (though there is that, too.) Instead, it’s the steamy scenes that cement the lead characters as our internet crushes of the month. But what’s the lowdown on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s sex scenes?

Step aside The Duke and Daphne and wave goodbye to Kate and Anthony, because Bridgerton season 3 is all about Polin. The pair, played by Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan, take centre stage in season three of the period drama, as they go from friends to lovers over the course of eight episodes.

Nicola says they “broke furniture” while filming a sex scene

Inevitably, that also brings with it a bit of getting hot under the collar, in a way that only Bridgerton knows how to do. “We did break a piece of furniture while doing one [sex] scene,” Nicola teased to Entertainment Weekly. “It’s a little bit like a stunt in which they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna do this, this, and this’.”

Speaking of the incident to 7News Australia, Luke added, “It felt like a really safe space. There were moments where we could explore the scene and try it different ways and that ended up in a piece of furniture getting broken.”

He continued, “We just laughed. And then, I think Nicola spoke, like in her Irish accent, and I thought, it would have been so special — I mean, maybe it will be in the final cut, us breaking into laughter — because I think that’s quite Colin and Pen, as well. So, it would be nice.”

And that they both had a say in how the scenes should go

It was “really nerve-wracking” she told This Morning, but the basis of their long-term friendship helped to calm her nerves. “Thankfully I’ve known Luke for four years and he’s a super nice guy, [so we could] kind of have a laugh about it. It was quite liberating and quite fun to do.”

“Luke and I actually had a lot of say in what we wanted to do and we kind of had ideas about how we wanted things to play out,” she said, “which was great, ’cause we really felt like we were in control.”

Nicola added of the series, “It’s a spicy one. It’s a lot of the stuff from the books that the fans expect.”

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Luke says it was “a breeze” because of how well they know each other

Speaking to High Life, Luke shared how easy he found intimate scenes to shoot, adding, “Looking back, it was a breeze. She’s my friend, so we just giggle about it. There are those moments when you come out of your body and go, ‘Oh, millions of people will see this.’ But then I’ve been an actor for many years now. People have seen my performance on stage and other shows, so you feel confident.'”

We can’t wait for this.

Bridgerton season 3 is streaming on Netflix on Thursday 16th May 2024. The second batch of four episodes will then be released on Thursday 13th June.